ThingLink and HealthHub Finland Collaboration Promises to Revolutionise Healthcare Education

In the latest development project supported by HealthHub Finland, Finnish educational technology company ThingLink Oy and the Computational Intelligence (CI) Research Group at the University of Eastern Finland (UEF) are joining forces to explore the potential of AI-assisted learning environments in supporting the work of nurses and healthcare professionals.

The project aims to explore how AI-assisted production of induction materials can support the work of nurses and healthcare professionals. The project will develop and test a prototype of a conversational AI application to facilitate the delivery of nurse induction and training.

“The promise of AI in workplace training lies not in the dissemination of centrally produced generic training materials, but in the easy capture, organisation and timely distribution of local knowledge and skills. Our collaboration with HealthHub Finland opens up a valuable perspective for us in documenting and sharing knowledge in the healthcare sector. The jointly developed solution has excellent prospects for success also in the Central European and North American markets,” says Ulla-Maaria Koivula, founder and CEO of ThingLink.

The research is based on the diverse challenges encountered in healthcare education. These include rapidly increasing medical knowledge, balancing theory and practical skills, developing critical thinking, practicing interpersonal skills, addressing various learning needs, and dealing with time constraints.

AI-assisted virtual learning environments can address these challenges in various ways. They can improve the quality and timeliness of learning materials and can reduce the time and costs associated with developing and updating learning materials. AI can also increase the availability and customization of learning materials, helping to meet the diverse needs of learners. AI can also enhance learner engagement and enable the creation of realistic and safe practice situations.

The CI Research Group at UEF brings deep expertise in AI applications and innovative learning methods to the project. Keijo Haataja from UEF’s Computational Intelligence (CI) research group is very excited about this project:

“The project not only advances the application of AI in healthcare education but also makes a significant contribution to the development of clinical expertise and educational methodologies. Our collaboration with ThingLink enables us to explore and develop solutions that have the potential to revolutionize the way healthcare professionals are educated and prepared for future challenges.”

“The broader impacts of the project extend far beyond the development of individual applications. It offers a model for how technology can be used to enhance the learning experience, increase the accessibility and customization of learning materials, and create safe training scenarios. This is particularly significant in the healthcare field, where professionals face rapidly changing situations and new challenges daily”, Haataja stresses.

“Through this project, we also have the opportunity to influence how future healthcare professionals adopt and apply AI as part of their professional development and daily work, which is crucial for the quality and efficiency of healthcare. EDIH-project’s significant support from both EU and Business Finland makes it possible to set the ambition level of the project much higher than what would be normally possible without the EDIH project”, Haataja points out.

This collaboration promises to revolutionize healthcare education by offering innovative solutions to longstanding challenges and opens the door to a future where technology enables healthcare professionals to excel in their roles.

“When small and medium-sized enterprises need to develop their products and services in the context of digital health, requiring external support for their development work, HealthHub Finland is an unparalleled solution”, says Kimmo Solehmainen from Kuopio Health.

“HealthHub Finland provides expert professionals for the development work and largely takes care of the necessary funding as well. All rights to the development work remain with the company. For the company, this is like buying expert services with so-called hard cash, but now, thanks to public support, the cost remains very low.”

“In Kuopio, we have been able to produce AI integrations implemented by UEF for companies within the framework of HealthHub Finland on several occasions, and these development works have been utterly inspiring. It is particularly great that, in addition to their business significance, they also have significant societal impact. This is also the case with the development work of ThingLink Oy. We are eager to carry out similar work as long as funding is available”, concludes Solehmainen.

About the ThingLink Platform

ThingLink Oy, a global Finnish education technology company, develops easy-to-use tools for interactive and immersive learning experiences and professional inductions. The platform allows static training materials such as PDFs, manuals and film presentations to be easily transformed into a visual and interactive format. Companies can use AI to accelerate the delivery of virtual induction training in physical work environments, such as safety and equipment training, thereby improving the availability, quality and learning outcomes of induction training.
Learners can ask the AI application for timely advice on how to operate in a space or situation, or how to use equipment, for example. This reduces the number of support requests within the organisation and improves the induction and support new employees receive.

Original article published on 14.2.2024 on HealthHub Finland’s website