Search results

great ideas into digital health and social care solutions

The Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI) is a national resource and key enabler and catalyst for change, occupying a unique and visible position at the heart of the innovation ecosystem for digital health and social care in Scotland. DHI's expertise and influence allow us to play a pivotal role in building a fairer, inclusive, accessible, and equitable health and social care system by harnessing the power of Scotland’s public, private, and third/charity sectors. Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre Transforming great ideas into digital health and care solutions Contrary to popular belief, Lorem Ipsum is not simply random text. It has roots in a piece of classical Latin literature from 45 BC, making it over 2000 years old. Richard McClintock, a Latin professor at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia. Heading 3 Add paragraph text. Click “Edit Text” to update the font, size and more. To change and reuse text themes, go to Site Styles. Whole thing repeater, with click through CMS func. Max 3 Heading 3 Add paragraph text. Click “Edit Text” to update the font, size and more. To change and reuse text themes, go to Site Styles. Heading 3 Add paragraph text. Click “Edit Text” to update the font, size and more. To change and reuse text themes, go to Site Styles. DHI Exchange A national platform driving digital health and care innovation through collaboration, technology integration, and person-centred data sharing. What we do DHI drives research and innovation in digital health and social care, supporting sustainable services, future skills, and improved health outcomes across Scotland. Resources A global leader in digital health and social care, delivering research, fostering international collaboration, and producing a range of academic and digital outputs. Who we are The Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI) was established in 2013 and is a key enabler and catalyst for change, occupying a unique and visible position at the heart of the innovation ecosystem for digital health and social care in Scotland. A world-leading collaboration between the University of Strathclyde and Glasgow School of Art , publicly funded by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) and the Scottish Government . We are a not-for-profit organisation. Our expertise and influence allow us to play a pivotal role in building a fairer , inclusive , accessible , and equitable health and social care system by harnessing the power of Scotland’s public, private, and third/ charity sectors. Learn more Industry DHI helps companies get their digital health & care innovations to market. We have 10 years’ experience working with stakeholders in the NHS, academia, the Scottish Government, third sector, funders and industry to support cross-sectoral collaboration and digital health and care innovation. We understand the complexity of health and social care customer needs and procurement systems. Collaborate with us Health & care providers DHI is a catalyst for change and a conduit for NHS reform. We harness Research & Innovation (R&I) to support the essential recovery and digitally enabled transformation of health and social care services. We work with the NHS, local authorities, independent health & care providers, housing associations, 3rd Sector and charities. Innovate with us Academia and education DHI works with Academia to gather insight , undertake research , co-design and develop collaborative innovations to implement change, generate real impact and attract increased investment and funding into R&I and institutional capabilities. We engage with schools, colleges, universities to raise awareness of careers in the digital health and social care sector. Shape the future Wider public sector DHI works with wider public sector services to deploy key digital assets to re-imagine care and support a strong pipeline of digital and data pathfinder initiatives. We operate as an anchor institution to showcase Scotland’s capability and appetite for digital health and care innovation by working with cross-sectoral partners to transform great ideas into real digital health and social care solutions. Explore opportunities Working with Citizens DHI uses design research-led approaches to engage with citizens and keep them at the heart of all we do. If you want to contribute to the co-design of Scotland’s latest digital health and social care solutions, join our citizen panel. Join our citizen panel Digital health and social care innovation In the complex landscape of health and care, numerous terms such as Telehealth , Telemedicine , and Telecare are frequently employed to describe the integration of technology in healthcare services. The DHI prefers a more inclusive and simplified approach to terminology. Our definition Design innovation Design innovation is central to the DHI’s initiatives. As a co-founding partner, The Glasgow School of Art has shaped our unique design-led and participatory approach, recognised for its effectiveness in delivering impactful services. Our methodology fosters meaningful engagement with citizens, healthcare professionals, and communities, aligning with the Scottish Approach to Service Design . We tailor each project to the specific context, ensuring solutions meet the needs of all involved. Find out more Our track record of success Our track record of success Our track record of success Our track record of success 41 health & care org. engaged 500+ demonstrations 52 Co-design projects delivered 3500+ Citizens engaged £41.2M additional funding secured 29.5K report downloads 50 projects managed 1000+ active network members Our broader impact Our decade-long commitment to transforming Scotland's digital health and social care landscape has seen DHI secure vital funding, facilitate key projects, and build a robust network from across the sector. We're driving meaningful change that shapes the future of health and social care innovation in Scotland and beyond. Globally connected Dedicated to transform health and social care through digital innovation, not just in Scotland but across the globe. Our collaborations extend our impact far beyond national boundaries, positioning us at the forefront of global health and social care solutions. Meet our partners

The #DigiInventors Challenge is organised by the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI) as it's flagship schools’ competition in collaboration with leading partners in education, innovation, entrepreneurship, and healthcare across Scotland. Invent Today. Impact Tomorrow. Primary School National Challenge The #DigiInventors Challenge is organised by the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI) as it's flagship schools’ competition in collaboration with leading partners in education, innovation, entrepreneurship, and healthcare across Scotland. Big ideas start early! Our Primary Challenge is specially designed for young innovators in P5 - P7 across Scotland. It’s all about teamwork, creativity and discovering how digital ideas can help people live healthier, happier lives. Introduction to the Challenge The Primary Challenge invites P5-P7 pupils in Scotland to explore one big question: Can you identify a real problem related to people’s health or wellbeing, and develop a digital idea to help solve it? What the Challenge includes This challenge provides a fun way to learn about digital opportunities, entrepreneurship, design innovation, science, tech, teamwork and creative problem-solving in the classroom and helps develop critical STEM skills for the future. Pupils will: Talk about daily health and wellbeing challenges people face (e.g. healthy eating, staying active, managing stress) Research how digital tools like apps, games and smart devices could make life better Work together to plan a simple idea or solution Create a sketch or visual to show how it works Share their idea in a short written or video pitch Eligibility and participation Open to all Primary Schools in Scotland Pupils in P5-P7 Teams of up to 4 pupils (mixed stages/genders encouraged!) Each team must have a teacher or adult mentor to guide them Challenge timeline and key dates 05/01/2026 - Challenge Launch 27/02/2026 - Application Submission Deadline 02/03/2026 - 20/03/2026 - Judging Period 23/03/2026 - Winners & Runners-up Announced 28/04/2026 - Award Ceremony How To Take Part Step 1: Form your team, up to 4 pupils Step 2: Explore the big question and brainstorm ideas Step 3: Research, plan and sketch your solution Step 4: Use the resources pack to prepare your pitch Step 5: Submit your entry before the deadline! #DigiInventors toolkit Find everything you need to take part in the Challenge. Use the filters to explore Primary or Secondary materials and choose between Essential resources to get started and Additional content to go further. Includes editable templates, teacher slides, helpful guides, and more! Resources page Recognition and prizes All participants will receive a #DigiInventors Challenge Certificate and can use their submission to apply for the YSL Level 2 Auto Award. Runners-up get: Certificate for each pupil Fun goodie bags for all team members Winners get: The #DigiInventors Challenge Trophy for their school Certificate for each team member Fun goodie bags for all team members A fantastic tech prize for each team member Previous winners Multi-ColourZ (Newton Farm Primary, South Lanarkshire) A groundbreaking app to support young people with colour blindness, featuring colour overlays, AI voice support, customisable settings, and a full colour reference and advice hub. JH Grow and Glow (Wellington School, South Ayrshire) An engaging wellbeing app for children aged 5–12, supporting healthy habits in sleep, nutrition, hydration, and exercise – all guided by a friendly avatar called Glow. Sweet Tooth (Carolside Primary, East Renfrewshire) An innovative dental care app for young people with braces, using Bluetooth chips to allow orthodontists to monitor oral hygiene remotely. Testimonials As a teacher, it’s been incredibly rewarding to guide our team of four students through the #DigiInventors Challenge. The boys worked diligently on every aspect of the project, from market research to user experience, and even explored manufacturing processes and production costs. The hands-on experience they gained was invaluable and seeing them present their ideas to both local and international teams, a critical step towards ultimately winning the competition, was truly inspiring. I would highly encourage other schools to get involved in #DigiInventors - it’s an excellent program that helps students develop critical skills in design, technology, and teamwork, while also fostering a real-world understanding of how innovation can positively impact society. Josh Farquhar - Merchiston Castle School, Edinburgh, Scotland Partnering with the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre has been a fantastic experience for Scottish Hockey. It has allowed us to connect with partners and change-makers beyond our usual scope. We highly recommend getting involved with the #DigiInventors Challenge. Keith Macleod, Scottish Hockey The #DigiInventors competition has been an incredible experience for our school, as we have participated for many years now. It’s been amazing to see how the challenge refines each year, consistently raising the bar in innovation and engagement. Our students benefit greatly from interacting with insightful professors and leaders from the UAE and Scotland, receiving invaluable feedback on their ideas and pitching techniques. They also have the unique opportunity of interacting with students who reside in Scotland! Mrs Zaineb Mahdi, Assistant Headteacher & Cluster Director Innovation and Digital Technology, GEMS Wellington International School Dubai

Research Data Scotland (RDS) has published a new Operational Framework to support secure, ethical and more consistent private sector access to public sector data for research in the public good. Developed on behalf of the Scottish Government, the framework is designed to support informed decision-making by Scotland’s public sector data controllers when managing requests from industry to access de-identified data for research and innovation. This is an important step for Scotland’s research and innovation landscape. Public sector data has significant potential to improve health and care, inform better services, support economic growth and accelerate responsible innovation - but only when access is managed in ways that are ethical, transparent and able to maintain public trust. The new framework seeks to create clearer and more efficient routes for that access while keeping robust safeguards in place. The framework has been developed through the Scottish Government’s Unlocking the Value of Data programme and builds on earlier work by RDS, engagement with stakeholders across Scotland, and public engagement activity. It is intended primarily for public sector data controllers and others involved in access decisions, while also offering greater clarity for researchers and innovators. The initial testing and evaluation phase will focus on healthcare, specifically access to de-identified healthcare data for research purposes. Why this matters For innovators, researchers and partners working across health and care, clearer pathways to data access matter. Better access arrangements can help reduce complexity, improve consistency and create the conditions for more research and innovation that delivers public benefit. The framework is underpinned by a number of guiding principles, including public interest and public benefit, transparency, public engagement and involvement, and risk management. It also sits alongside established safeguards such as de-identification, Trusted Research Environments and the Five Safes framework. Together, these measures are intended to support the safe and trustworthy use of data while enabling projects that can improve outcomes for people and communities across Scotland. A foundation for future progress Importantly, this is a first version of the framework rather than a final end point. RDS has said it will continue to test, evaluate and refine the approach in collaboration with data controllers and partners, with supporting materials and further development to follow over time. Alongside the framework, RDS has also published a set of private sector case studies showing how public sector data can support research in the public benefit, including work linked to cancer outcomes, multimorbidity, imaging and precision medicine. RDS has also announced plans for a pilot Accelerator Award to support Scotland-based SMEs in the life sciences sector to undertake research in the public benefit. Find out more You can read the full announcement from Research Data Scotland, download the Operational Framework, explore the Scottish Government blog on the publication, and review the private sector case studies on the RDS website.

The recent Scotland Net Zero in Health Care Conference left me thinking deeply about what “sustainability” really means for us at DHI. It was a day filled with ambition, data, and good news stories, but what stayed with me most was a quieter realisation: our contribution to Scotland’s net zero goals isn’t just about carbon reduction. It’s about reimagining how health and care systems work altogether.  Rethinking Value in Healthcare As I listened to different perspectives, from NHS Scotland’s decarbonisation plans to the circular economy approaches and the integration of sustainability into clinical practice, it struck me that we’re talking about a fundamental shift in how we define value in healthcare. Net zero isn’t only about greener estates, waste management or low-emission fleets. It’s about prevention, smarter use of resources, and care models that reduce demand in the first place.  The Role of Digital Innovation At DHI, we often frame our work in terms of digital innovation; new pathways, platforms, and partnerships. And the conference reminded me that every digital intervention also carries a climate dimension. Remote care, data sharing, and service redesign can either reduce or increase our collective footprint depending on how they’re designed. That’s both a challenge and an opportunity.  Designing Sustainability from the Start What I took away most strongly is that sustainability has to be designed in from the very start. Not measured at the end. Initiatives like Scotland’s first net-zero hospital in Orkney and the integration of sustainability into clinical guidelines show that when sustainability is treated as a design principle, not a constraint, it drives innovation. If we’re serious about aligning with Scotland’s net-zero goals, we need to embed sustainability indicators into our project frameworks from the outset, treating them with the same importance as clinical outcomes and patient experience.  Telling the Wider Story We also need to tell a broader story. Many of DHI’s projects, such as our Community Connections Platform, already deliver sustainability benefits indirectly: reducing travel through digital consultations, improving self-management in the community, or building systems that make better use of data. We just haven’t been framing that impact within a sustainability dimension.  This reflection isn’t a checklist; I want it to be a shift in mindset. I left the conference feeling that DHI’s has an opportunity in shaping a future where digital health and care innovation doesn’t just serve our people, our services, but also the planet. Let us all consider how sustainability can be built into our own projects from the very start—and to think about how we showcase that impact as it happens. Because this is a journey worth committing to.  Supporting Innovation in Digital Health & Care DHI are sponsoring a category in this year’s Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards for Innovation in Digital Health and Social Care is to discover and highlight digitally enabled knowledge exchange projects that have made a significant positive impact on health and social care. Written by: Charlotte Stoney Production Manager, Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre

The SUMIT project is exploring how digital health technologies could better support people living with substance use and mental health challenges across Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland. The programme aims to support 1,500 people by improving technology-enabled access to care, services and community support. We are inviting technology companies and innovators to help shape this work and explore opportunities to pilot digital health solutions. On behalf of its partners, DHI is seeking to identify 3 digital products or services which address key challenges for local services and service users. The total budget is £550,000 and the selected digital health solutions will be active with services until November 2028 and be available for deployment across sites in Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland. The Challenge People experiencing substance use and mental health challenges often face barriers in accessing consistent support, navigating services, and maintaining engagement with recovery and wellbeing plans. Digital technologies may help address some of these challenges by improving how people access information, connect with services and communities, and manage their own care. The SUMIT project is therefore exploring how digital health solutions could support individuals, families and services across participating regions. What We’re Looking For The project intends to identify and ultimately procure three digital health solutions that could be piloted through the SUMIT programme. Early insights from local services and service users suggest potential opportunities in areas such as: Self-management and wellbeing Tools that help people access reliable information and local services. Digital approaches that support self-managed care and wellbeing. Recovery and care planning Solutions that help individuals track progress against personal care and wellbeing plans. Tools that support engagement with multiple health and support services. Connection and support networks Platforms that help connect people with peer groups, families and communities. Tools that improve access to support services, particularly during times of crisis. These themes are indicative and will be further refined through engagement with industry and stakeholders. The Opportunity The SUMIT partners are seeking input from technology companies to help test assumptions, to explore potential solutions that currently meet, or can be adapted to meet our challenges, and inform the development of a formal procurement process. There is significant scope for industry organisations to bring insights and creativity to this process and work collaboratively to address SUMIT key challenges over a 2-year timeline. There is also great potential for transferable digital health products used in other contexts to be introduced effectively into SUMIT. Industry engagement will help shape the requirements for a tender that is expected to be published in late Spring 2026. There may be opportunities for: Existing digital health products to be adapted or applied in this context New partnerships with health and community organisations Pilot deployment of digital solutions through the SUMIT programme Industry Briefing – (complete) Technology companies were invited to attend a 90-minute online Breakfast Briefing on Tuesday 31 March The session shared: Introduce the SUMIT project Share early insights from services and service users Outline potential innovation opportunities Provide an opportunity for questions and discussion Feedback gathered will now inform the development of the upcoming procurement process. Don't worry if you missed the briefing you can access the slides used below ABOUT SUMIT The SUMIT project is a ground-breaking initiative funded by the PEACEPLUS programme and managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). Led by Queen’s University Belfast, in partnership with Trinity College Dublin, Scotland’s Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI), the University of St Andrews, and the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO). SUMIT seeks to positively impact people’s lives by improving technology enabled access to care and support for people with substance use and mental health challenges