CLF Researcher Receives 3.1 Million DKK for Research on Digitally Challenged Elderly
Barbara Fersch, Associate Professor at the Center for Rural Research (CLF) at the University of Southern Denmark, has just received 3.1 million DKK for her new research project aimed at strengthening digital inclusion among older people in rural areas. This was announced today as the Independent Research Fund Denmark published its grants.
Digital solutions play an increasingly important role in both elderly care and the healthcare sector, as well as in the interaction between municipal frontline workers and citizens. However, while digital services can make it easier to access help, they can also pose challenges for some older citizens. In particular, older people living in rural areas often struggle to keep up with digital developments, and some even face outright digital exclusion.
This is the issue that Barbara Fersch’s new research project, "Rural Digital Care: Strengthening the Inclusion of Older People in Digital Care Services in Rural Municipalities" (RuDiCare), aims to address.
Technology Only Works If Citizens Can Use It
The goal of RuDiCare is to identify opportunities for creating inclusive, digitalized municipal services by studying the rollout of technologies to a population particularly at risk of digital exclusion—older people in rural areas. RuDiCare thus focuses on two key conditions for digital inclusion: trust in technology and active digital engagement. The project aims to examine how relational aspects between employees, technology, and citizens influence these conditions.
The project will not only contribute new knowledge to this relatively unexplored field through original, case study-based research but will also serve as a foundation for developing practice-oriented concepts on how to enhance inclusion during the implementation of digital solutions in the healthcare and social care sectors.
Thematic Funding for Elderly Research
Barbara Fersch's funding has been awarded as part of the Independent Research Fund Denmark’s thematic funds for health and well-being, specifically within elderly research.A total of 29.5 million DKK was allocated to support research on care and welfare for elderly citizens, with 3.1 million DKK granted to Barbara Fersch.
History of Research on Digitally Challenged Individuals
Barbara Fersch has previously led the research project REACT, which explores alternative solutions to the challenge of digital exclusion in the welfare state, particularly through co-creation with volunteers. The idea for RuDiCare emerged from the work on REACT and aims to address gaps identified in that research, further enhancing our understanding of the risks of digital exclusion.