Advancing active and healthy ageing with ICT: Early risk detection and intervention

Specific challenge: Citizens in an ageing European population are at greater risk of cognitive impairment, frailty and social exclusion with considerable negative consequences for their quality of life, that of those who care for them, and for the sustainability of health and care systems.

The earlier detection of risks associated with ageing, using ICT approaches, can enable earlier intervention to ameliorate their negative consequences.

Scope: Proposals should focus on early risk detection and intervention: specifically ICT based solutions which support active and healthy ageing by enabling early detection and minimisation of risks associated with ageing, including (but not limited to) cognitive impairment, frailty, depression and falls.

Proposals should demonstrate the link between changes in behaviour and subsequent negative consequences of ageing by unobtrusive behavioural sensing, and large scale collection of data readily available in the daily living environment of older individuals.

Proposals should also design ICT based interventions countering identified risks, as well as innovative treatments and therapies based on early detection.

Proposals should build on multi-disciplinary research involving behavioural, sociological, health and other relevant disciplines, and on stakeholder engagement in order to be driven by relevant user needs to ensure end-user acceptance (including gender aspects). Full account should be taken of relevant data protection aspects.  

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of between EUR 3 and 4 million would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

Expected impact:

• Evidence for the benefits of risk detection and intervention, based on proof of concept and involvement of relevant stakeholders
• Clear improvements of outcomes for individuals, care systems and wider society from new therapies and interventions based on early risk detection in comparison with current practices.
• Global leadership in ICT based innovation for active and healthy ageing.   

Type of action:Research and innovation actions