The aim of the project is to develop a methodology for identifying, evaluating, and integrating digital assistance technologies in residential long-term care. The focus is on indirect nursing activities that professional caregivers perceive as particularly time-consuming and burdensome.

Ideally, the use of technology should give nursing staff more time for primary care tasks and for direct interaction with people in need of care. But which technologies actually provide support and reduce workloads? And how can their practical suitability be assessed through virtual simulation using mixed reality (MR) and evaluated on the basis of defined criteria before they are integrated into everyday nursing practice?

The project combines qualitative data collection methods—focus groups and expert interviews—with the development and use of MR environments in which new technologies can be tested and evaluated under realistic conditions.

 

Starting Point: High Workloads and Their Consequences

Nursing staff in outpatient and residential long-term care work under considerable time and performance pressure. Studies show that high workloads, frequent interruptions, and the simultaneous performance of several tasks are part of everyday nursing practice. Nursing staff often even forgo breaks in order to complete their daily duties.

These pressures can contribute to depressive symptoms, unhealthy lifestyles, and mental illness, and can lead, among other things, to an increased risk of burnout and a growing number of days of incapacity for work.

At the same time, existing prevention and workplace health promotion programs have so far had only limited success in offsetting the consequences of high work intensity. Nursing staff also express a desire for more time to provide high-quality care, greater scope for individual decision-making, and more opportunities for personal interaction.

“High work intensity not only affects the health of nursing staff, but can also impair the quality of care,” emphasizes Prof. Dr. Lisa Schmidt, Professor of Nursing Science and Co-Spokesperson of FUTURE AGING.

Research Gaps Despite a Growing Problem

Although the burden on nursing staff has been well documented, there is still a research gap in Germany regarding the causes, consequences, and subjective experience of stress in the nursing profession. At the same time, various approaches to reducing workloads are being discussed in light of the shortage of skilled workers, particularly digital and technological support solutions.

Digital systems, sensor technologies, artificial intelligence for recording vital signs, exoskeletons, and AI-supported nursing documentation with speech recognition are sometimes perceived by nursing staff as reducing workloads because they can save time and simplify work processes. Nevertheless, innovative technologies have so far been integrated into everyday nursing practice only hesitantly and rarely on a sustainable basis.

Limited Research on the Use of Mixed-Reality Technology

There is currently very little research on the use of MR technologies in particular. Previous studies have focused primarily on technical aspects, while the perspectives of nursing professionals and organizational conditions such as training, support, and equipment have often received insufficient attention.

“To date, there has been no comprehensive and practice-oriented catalog of criteria that equally reflects technological requirements such as scalability, usability, and accessibility, as well as the needs of nursing care,” explains Prof. Dr. Diana Völz, Professor of Product Development, Design, and CAD and Head of the Mixed Reality Laboratory at Frankfurt UAS. “This is precisely where GIDEA comes in.”

Interviews as a Basis for Data Collection

Interviews are currently being conducted with focus groups comprising qualified nursing professionals and nursing assistants, as well as with managers and other experts, in order to identify particularly burdensome indirect nursing activities.

Frankfurt UAS is responsible for this data collection, with support from Caritas Association Darmstadt.

Digital Catalog for Nursing Care

Based on the qualitative surveys and evaluations conducted in the MR environment, a dynamic catalog of criteria is being developed. It will serve as a structured directory for the systematic identification, evaluation, and assessment of digital assistance technologies.

In the future, the catalog is intended to provide care facilities, nursing staff, people in need of care, developers, and funding bodies with a sound basis for decision-making. It will enable them to compare new technologies, select suitable solutions, and identify existing technological gaps.

Fraunhofer IGD is responsible for this work package. “We ensure that the catalog of criteria is compatible with existing documentation and evaluation processes in care facilities,” says Dr. Sergio Staab of the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research IGD. “By closely connecting the relevant stakeholders—including care facilities, research institutions, municipalities, funding bodies, and developers—we also aim to accelerate innovation cycles for tailored and scalable solutions.”

The research and evaluation are being carried out under real-world conditions in residential care facilities operated by the project partner Caritas Association Darmstadt, with nursing professionals, nursing assistants, and trainees directly involved.

“It is important to us that, in the future, nursing staff are no longer merely recipients of technology, but become co-developers of technology. The participatory approach of the project makes this possible,” says Michael Weber from the Digitalization and Strategic Development in Elderly Care unit at Caritas Association Darmstadt.

“Our aim is to shape digitalization not only from a technical perspective, but above all in a needs-based and sustainable way,” the project team states. “GIDEA is establishing the methodological and structural foundations for the innovation community, promoting sustainable knowledge transfer, and creating opportunities for further research and development projects.”