DHINO – Digital hälsoinnovation

News

• 2026-11-11

  Opportunities and challenges in digital health services – the way forward

  How can digital health services contribute to better healthcare and improved health, and what barriers need to be overcome to ensure wider adoption? These were the key questions explored when around 30 participants from academia, the public sector and industry gathered for a needs assessment and innovation conference on 5 November.

  The conference was organised for the fifth consecutive year by the Digital Health Innovation Research Group (DHINO), coordinated by Charlotte Bäccman and Jakob Trischler at the Service Research Center (CTF) at Karlstad University.

  “Over the years, our partner events and needs assessments have provided valuable insights, laid the foundations for new studies and projects, and played an important role in promoting the development of digital health innovations in the region,” says Charlotte Bäccman, Associate Professor of Psychology.

• 2026-05-25

  Hello there, Stefan Alfredsson

  ..who helped Central Hospital in Karlstad get its wheelchairs under control. It all started with a newspaper article about the 'wheelchair chaos' at Central Hospital in Karlstad. Missing wheelchairs led to unnecessary searching and added stress in daily operations. At that point, Stefan Alfredsson, a senior lecturer in computer science, contacted the patient transport unit, and together they began exploring whether the problem could be solved.

  Today, around 40 wheelchairs at the hospital are equipped with AirTags, allowing staff to track their location in real time using their mobile phones. The solution saves both time and money and recently won Region Värmland’s Innovation Award 2026.

  Congratulations on the award! What prompted you to contact the hospital about this particular problem?

• 2026-04-17

  DHINO brought together academia, the public sector, and industry for dialogue on digital health innovation

  On April 14–15, DHINO hosted the annual Partner Days, bringing together around 30 representatives from academia, the public sector, and industry to exchange experiences and discuss the development of digital health innovation in healthcare.

  “The Partner Days are a recurring activity where we invite our collaboration partners to share good practices,” says Charlotte Bäccman, project manager for DHINO and associate professor of Psychology at Karlstad University.

  Jakob Trischler, deputy project manager and associate professor of Business Administration, continues: 

  “It is unique to bring together so many different areas of expertise in one place. This type of collaboration is essential for addressing complex societal challenges related to digital health innovation”.

• 2026-01-23

  App May Reduce Fear of Childbirth Among First-Time Mothers

  New research from Karlstad University shows that the effect is particularly noticeable among women who already during pregnancy experience strong anxiety about giving birth.

  Expecting a first child can bring both anticipation and worry. Thoughts about pain, loss of control, and the unknown are, for many expectant mothers, a source of stress. Now, research from Karlstad University and Region Värmland shows that a digital support tool in the form of an app can make a difference, especially for first-time mothers who feel a pronounced fear of childbirth.

• 2025-12-19

  The Digital Health Innovation Initiative in Värmland Enters a New Phase

  DigitalWell Arena is now taking the next step in its long-term commitment to digital health innovation in Värmland. After several years focused on establishing a platform for research and collaboration, the work is now shifting towards the large-scale implementation and practical use of digital solutions.

  Research at Karlstad University has been a central driving force behind DigitalWell Arena since its launch in 2019. By bringing together around 60 researchers from six research groups and disciplines such as computer science, nursing, psychology, service research and gender studies, the university has built an interdisciplinary research environment for digital health innovation.

• 2024-05-31

  Continued funding for collaboration project with a focus on digital health innovations in Värmland

  In the interdisciplinary research project DHINO, Digital Health Innovation, Karlstad University and Region Värmland are working together to develop new knowledge that will promote increased digitalisation of the healthcare services in Värmland. The project is now entering the second phase where focus will be on economic, social and environmental sustainability for innovation processes.

  – Through demand-driven research conducted in collaboration with both public and private actors, the project aims to increase the innovation capacity of the public sector and enable small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to develop and test new digital health services that meet the needs of the public sector, says project leader Erik Wästlund, professor of psychology at the Service Research Center (CTF), Karlstad University. 

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