elderly people having a digital health care meeting

Project: ReDIG – A resilient care model to promote digital self-care, health, and quality of life among patients with chronic illness and their informal carers

In this project, we refine and evaluate the ReDIG model, a person-centred model for resilient digital self-care monitoring in primary and specialist outpatient care, with a focus on addressing the barriers that patients with chronic illness, informal carers, and healthcare professionals encounter when using and integrating digital tools. Through co-creation and evaluation, we investigate how the model can strengthen patients’ self-care capacity and health, facilitate caregiver involvement, and support healthcare professionals in effectively integrating digital tools, contributing to sustainable and equitable integrated care.

Project information

Project manager
Susanna Strandberg
Other project members
Sofia Backåberg, Lina Nilsson, Kristina Tryselius, Linnaeus University; Cecilia Fagerström, Sandra Stern, Linnaeus University och Region Kalmar County; Joakim Niklasson, Blekinge Institute of Techology; Fanny Simonsson, Region Kronoberg County; Maja Isaksson, Region Kalmar County
Participating organizations
Region Kalmar County, Region Kronoberg County, National Competence Center for Relatives (NKA), Health Data Sweden (HDS)
Timetable
1 jan 2026 – 31 dec 2029
Subject
Health Science (Department of Health and Caring Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences)

More about the project

With an ageing population and a growing number of people living with chronic illness, there is an increasing need for sustainable approaches that strengthen self-care, independence, and a sense of safety at home. Digital self-care monitoring is now being introduced in primary and specialist outpatient care, allowing patients to record health data such as blood pressure and symptoms, but there is a lack of evidence-based knowledge on how these digital tools can best be integrated into care and support patients, informal carers, and healthcare professionals. Many patients experience difficulties using digital technology, informal carers take on greater responsibility without sufficient support, and healthcare professionals lack structured approaches for integrating digital self-care monitoring in an effective and person-centred way.

In this project, we refine and evaluate the ReDIG model, a person-centred model for resilient digital self-care monitoring designed to enhance self-care, health, and participation among patients with chronic illness and their informal carers. The model is based on co-creation between patients, informal carers, and healthcare professionals and focuses on motivation and trust, individualisation, professional support, and informal carers involvement.

The project is carried out in three phases.

  1. First, the model is refined through workshops where patients with chronic illness, informal carers, and healthcare professionals collaboratively identify needs and adapt workflows and the use of digital self-care monitoring.
  2. Next, the model is tested in primary and specialist outpatient care to examine its impact on self-care, health, quality of life, and resource use over time.
  3. Finally, the implementation process is evaluated to understand how the model works in practice, including barriers and facilitators, and how it affects healthcare professionals’ work as well as patient and caregiver involvement.

The project is conducted by the ReAction research group at Linnaeus University in close collaboration with Region Kalmar County and Region Kronoberg, where digital self-care monitoring is currently being implemented in primary and specialist outpatient care. By refining and evaluating the ReDIG model, the project will generate new knowledge on how digital tools can be used in a sustainable, equitable, and person-centred way to strengthen self-care and support the transition toward more accessible and integrated care.

 

Staff