Participation and co-creation for innovative technologies for informal caregivers and communities of care (PiTiPs)

In the accompanying project PiTiPS, expertise from research and practice (social, nursing and behavioral sciences, participation and technology research) is bundled in order to systematically integrate the diversity of informal care into research and design processes. The focus is on questions concerning conditions for success and barriers to participation in the development of socio-technical innovations.

Aims and procedure
In the accompanying project PiTiPS, approaches and methods for the participation of informal caregivers and care communities in technology innovation are systematized and strengthened in terms of funding policy. This is achieved with a dual strategy: (1) provision of technical infrastructures and scientific know-how and (2) analysis of participation approaches in order to further develop theoretical models and methods and to derive recommendations for action. In two ParticipationLabs, participatory formats and co-design, digital and analog, are tested and implemented. A digital ParticipationHub serves as a platform to initiate and map joint learning processes. The consulting and support process is complemented by joint research workshops with the collaborative projects.

Innovations and perspectives
The described scientific and practice-oriented offers of the accompanying project PiTiPS are intended to support and qualify care communities and informal caregivers to participate in research and development contexts also beyond the project duration.