Dynamic Sensor-based Planning of Personnel Deployment and Tours in Outpatient Care

Background

In-home caregivers face grueling physical demands and are exposed to a variety of stressors such as severe time pressure. The “Dynasens“ project aims to alleviate this problem by enabling dynamic workforce management and routing through the use of sensors embedded in caregivers´ clothing.

Objectives and Approach

For physical strain to be reduced, it is essential to record its occurrence for each individual caregiver. Sensors are therefore being embedded in caregivers´ work clothes to enable the collection of relevant data during work. The data gathered can then form the basis for individualized injury prevention programs.

In order to bill properly for their services, caregivers need to document each action. To make this easier, the movement patterns derived will be used to identify typical caregiving activities. A caregiver will then only need to confirm a list of services provided, thus saving a significant amount of time. Additionally, a piece of software for dynamic workforce management and routing is being developed so that work schedules can be automatically modified to accommodate unforeseen events.

Innovation and Potential Impact

Equipping caregivers´ clothing with embedded sensors will make it possible for specific actions involving physical strain to be detected and recorded in the workplace rather than, as is currently the case, in controlled conditions. The software will enable quick responses to unforeseen events which would normally demand complex rescheduling. The systems are being designed with privacy and security aspects in mind.

Dynasens – Dynamic Sensor-based Planning of Personnel Deployment and Tours in Outpatient Care
© Fraunhofer IIS
Dynasens – Dynamic Sensor-based Planning of Personnel Deployment and Tours in Outpatient Care

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