Indoor Navigation System in the Regular Outpatient Clinics of the General University Hospital of Patras.
We enhance accessibility to healthcare facilities with advanced indoor navigation technology for the visually impaired. A hospital that embraces everyone.
About the project
The Hosp4All project focuses on improving the accessibility of healthcare facilities and promoting equal access to healthcare for blind and low-vision people and other vulnerable groups. By adopting universal design principles and using advanced technologies, the project aims to help reduce the barriers that people with disabilities face when navigating healthcare settings. The navigation system that will be developed will facilitate patients, visitors and staff, ensuring greater autonomy and safety in places such as hospitals and health centres.
Objectives of the Programme
According to the World Health Organization, around 2.2 billion people in the world are visually impaired, which makes it difficult for them to be autonomous and independent in public places such as hospitals. Modern indoor navigation technologies can help improve these conditions and create safer and more functional environments. The Hosp4All project responds to this need by integrating navigation systems that will help not only visually impaired people but also all visitors and hospital staff to move around more easily in healthcare settings.
Hosp4All aims to develop an innovative indoor guidance and navigation system for hospital units, which will be specifically adapted to the needs of visually impaired people and other vulnerable groups. Based on the principles of universal design, the project aims to promote autonomy, accessibility and equal access to health care for all.
Cooperation between Greece and Norway
The project is funded by EEA Grants, with the support of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, promoting cooperation between Greece and Norway in the field of universal accessibility and equitable healthcare. Through this cooperation, the Greek side is building on Norway’s long experience in universal design, and the two countries are exchanging know-how to develop innovative solutions for accessibility in public buildings and healthcare facilities.
Universal Design
Universal Design is the basis of the project, as it adopts an approach that aims to ensure equal access for all users, regardless of their physical abilities or disabilities. The system to be developed will include a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) network, a mobile phone application with voice commands and alerts, and monitoring devices to ensure user safety.
Consortium
Hosp4All is implemented by a consortium of Greek and Norwegian organisations with extensive experience in the field of health and accessibility:
- Institute of Biomedical Technology (INBIT): the main implementer of the information and dissemination actions. INVIT is a non-profit organisation that supports the development of biomedical technology and quality in the health sector.
- Norwegian Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (NABP): involved in the needs assessment, system development and pilot implementation. NABP was founded in 1900 and is the oldest organisation for people with disabilities in Norway.
- General University Hospital of Patras: the leading hospital of Patras. It hosts the pilot implementation of the navigation system in the hospital’s outpatient clinics.
- Executive Structure of the Ministry of Health (EDEYPY):It supports the implementation of the project and the dissemination of results, and supports the formulation of strategic and operational plans for accessibility in the health sector.
Outcomes
The project is expected to produce significant results for both people with visual impairments and the wider healthcare system:
Advanced Navigation System Installation
The navigation system will be installed in the outpatient clinics of the PGRP, providing accurate guidance through voice commands and real-time alerts. BLE technology will be used for positioning and guidance.
Pilot Implementation and Improvement
During the pilot implementation phase, user groups from Greece and Norway will participate in testing the system, providing feedback to optimise the implementation and procedures.
User and Staff Training
Special seminars and workshops will be held to train hospital staff in the use of the navigation system, as well as to inform users about its benefits.
Creating Best Practices
The findings and best practices will be published in scientific journals and presented at conferences, with the aim of disseminating the know-how and transferring the results of the project to other healthcare facilities.
Strengthening Cooperation between Greece and Norway:
The successful implementation of the project will strengthen cooperation between the two countries and will create the conditions for the adoption of universal design practices in more public hospitals in Greece.
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