Participating Citizens = Smart Citizens? Applying the Human-centered Design Approach on a Digital Care Platform

Abstract

New digital innovations are becoming increasingly relevant in the healthcare sector of smart cities. Although the healthcare sector has not been the focus of smart city strategies so far, this sector offers a high potential to save resources. One such measure is the development of a digital care platform. A digital care platform is intended to counteract the shortage of skilled care staff through the targeted deployment of caregivers. To meet the needs of users and service providers, a target group-oriented, human-centered design approach is applied to evaluate the benefits of a care platform for users and service providers. The results are recorded with the help of a Benefit Model. During the surveys, it became clear that users and service providers benefit from the use of a care platform in technical, economic, and social aspects, among others. In the process, stakeholders not only save important resources but also can build valuable networks for healthy and successful aging.