New project

How AI can help the Styrian care landscape

Documentation of care steps takes up a quarter of working time: a Styrian research project now aims to reduce the bureaucratic burden through new digital technologies.

What still sounds like science fiction in this country has long since become reality in countries such as Japan: robots equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) are helping care workers in retirement and nursing homes with particularly physically demanding tasks. In times of acute staff shortages and a high rate of people leaving the profession, is the use of AI also conceivable in the Styrian care landscape - or is it a distant dream of the future? The province of Styria and the Medical University of Graz now want to answer this question.

It is not about replacing nursing staff, but about improving care processes through digital technologies.

Barbara Eibinger-Miedl, Landesrätin für Wissenschaft und Forschung

Together, they have launched a project with the aim of improving and simplifying care processes. "We want to use the opportunities offered by digital technologies to achieve this," says ÖVP Science Minister Barbara Eibinger-Miedl, setting out the direction of travel. This will also strengthen Styria as a research location.

Katharina Lichtenegger (Medical University of Graz), State Councillor Barbara Eibinger-Miedl, State Councillor Karlheinz Kornhäusl, Karoline Riedler (Austrian Health and Nursing Association, from left)(Bild: steiermark.at/binder)

"The documentation of a care step often takes longer than the act itself," says Provincial Councillor for Health Karlheinz Kornhäusl, speaking from his own experience as a hospital doctor. With the help of digitalization, nursing staff can be significantly relieved - giving them more time for their patients.

Using digitalization to combat excessive bureaucracy
How can this work? "By streamlining outdated processes and structures and automating administrative tasks," explains project manager Katharina Lichtenegger from the Medical University. Currently, nurses have to spend two out of every eight hours of their working time on bureaucracy. The research project is being funded with 2.8 million euros.