Afrouz Behboudi
School of Health Sciences
Our society is facing great challenges, and our possibilities for dealing with these challenges are increasing. A sustainable digitalization of our every day lives – where people work, go to school, need healthcare and spend time with friends – requires research that focuses on the needs of people. Digital solutions and human interaction need to work together in ways that support well-being and safety. The research in DHEAR (Digital HEAlth Research) leads to knowledge about how to make our society a good place for everyone.
Digital technology is neither good nor bad. Its functions and efficiency are determined by how it is used by people in their everyday lives. To be able to control the effects of digitalization, we need to know how technology works in a long-term perspective and at different levels of society, from individuals to larger populations. We also need to know more about how digitalization may be excluding for some groups, and how technology can offer new possibilities for weaker groups. For example, how to obtain an overview of the consequences of digitalization from a health perspective.
Our research is based on studying how people can achieve and sustain good health, how to manage a life with disabilities, disease, and ageing. We depend on expert knowledge from many different areas. In DHEAR, researchers from the fields of Biomedicine, English, Public Health, Nursing, RPSH (reproductive, perinatal and sexual health), Social Psychology, and Swedish work together in collaboration.
I addition, we receive input from experts with a variety of backgrounds, experiences, and professions in our society. Finding solutions to complex questions requires working together to make a difference. It is through collaboration between researchers and other groups in society that we can develop a healthier and more sustainable society.
Please reach out to us if you would like to know more!