About SHIP
SHIP is a collaborative platform for research in healthcare environments, patient safety, and integrated care. Research is conducted in the form of interdisciplinary projects in collaboration between Chalmers University of Technology, Södra Älvsborg Hospital, and the University of Gothenburg.
To ensure the future functionality of healthcare, it must be accessible, safe, sustainable, and individualized. Healthcare should be provided close to where people live, meaning that our residences and other local environments must enable healthcare, whether it involves advanced or simpler interventions.
Healthcare facilities must be designed to integrate both inpatient and outpatient care, ensuring that individuals feel acknowledged. Organizational barriers should not obstruct the needs of patients and their relatives. Digital tools and methods should support the patient's journey through the healthcare system. Future care should be patient-driven, with the support of engaged and competent healthcare staff.
Fragile Elderly - An Increasingly Large Group
The elderly population is growing, leading to an increasing proportion of frail elderly individuals. Within this group, a large portion suffers from multiple illnesses, which current healthcare systems are not structured or developed to manage. However, this group is more active than ever, and many want to participate in their care.
GIven these circumstances, Swedicsh healthcare needs to undergo a transformation based on the challenges above. Today's healthcare is characterized by poor accessibility, long lead times, lack of communication between care levels, quality and patient safety deficiencies, and care that does not consider the individual, person's needs, leading to serious issues in competency provision. The current healthcare settings often focus on the needs of the healthcare organization rather than the individual. The situation is complex and requires a complex solution with collaboration from multiple perspectives, subjects, and organizations. SHIP is a unique collaboration among various stakeholders in the healthcare system as well as researchers and educators from different subject areas.
Integrated Care
Integrated care is a term for a new way of working with healthcare, and social services. This type of care, which people often need in close proximity to where they live, has to be strengthened and further developed. To achieve this, various parties, including specialists, primary care, and community health and social services, need to act collectively. By transitioning to integrated care, healthcare services are expected to become more coordinated, and patients should have the opportunity to receive care in their home environment. This is a subject that needs research.
Healthcare Environment Research
Research on healthcare environments is focussed on the impact of surroundings on health and well-being. This research studies the experiences of patients, relatives, and staff within healthcare and social service settings. It also explores how healthcare-related harm —both psychosocial and physical— can be avoided, as well as health-economic factors that can be tied to the environment.
The concept of "environment" covers both the physical space and its significance in terms of both objectively visible aspects and subjectively experienced environments, including the psychosocial dimension.
Patient Safety
Safe care involves preventing and avoiding healthcare injuries. While Sweden has strong medical outcomes, more than 100,000 patients are harmed in healthcare each year. Deficiencies in patient safety lead to significant suffering for individuals and increased societal costs. With adequate and evidence-based knowledge of patient safety among all healthcare workers, conscious requirements can be set to contribute to safer care.