27 March, 2015 -
Uncategorized
A new approach to elderly care developed by university researchers is improving lives, and gaining a foothold within the healthcare sector. What’s more, the ‘SödermanModellen’® as it’s known, is proving the success and potential of a new licensing method for innovators who might otherwise face challenges getting their services and products to market.
Behind the new model’s success is the fact that by providing patients with opportunities to be more involved with key decisions about their care, it’s not only freeing up precious time for staff, but also improving satisfaction about services and allowing patients to live the life they want. It’s a success story that’s changing lives within the Swedish nursing homes adopting it, and it was developed by Monica Bay, a lecturer in nursing at Karlstad University, along with her sister Doris Bay, medical director nursing with Uddevalla municipality. A better solution for everyoneSweden’s Bergs municipality is the latest to adopt the new model. ‘There are many advantages’, says Eva-Karin Åkerberg, head of care home Tallgläntan. ‘First and foremost, it’s better for our guests. They enjoy a better quality of life, as well as more participation, more influence and more confidence. ‘It also means less stress and a better working environment for staff, which has resulted in less sick-leave. In simple terms, everyone is enjoying a more pleasant environment to live and work in.’ The ‘SödermanModellen’ has made it into the broader market thanks to the possibility to licensing the research behind it. It’s a good example of why the innovation partnership Fyrklövern (four-leaf clover in English – referring to the four universities behind it) has established www.licensbanken.se, where organisations and industry can find some of the latest innovations and ideas emerging from the universities of Örebro, Karlstad, Linnaeus and Mid Sweden. ‘Without the support we have received from Fyrklövern, we would never have achieved what we have,’ comments co-creater of SödermanModellen, Doris Bay. ‘We’d written a book and presented lectures about our work, but we would never have been able to encourage adoption of the model to the same extent. It’s an opportunity that really works, and the reason we’ve been so successful.’
The licensing of innovationswww.licensbanken.se was founded in 2014 by innovation partnership Fyrklövern, a collaboration between the four universities mentioned above. The website acts as a link between academia and society, and provides support to researchers and university innovators who do not wish to run their own business – but do want their work to make the biggest contribution possible to the community. The website presents research and opportunities from the universities available for license by business and organisations, opportunities that are ‘oven-ready’ for commercial or social production and implementation.
