The Rural Centre of Excellence (RCE) for digital health and care in Moray is a £5 million initiative funded by the UK Government and delivered by the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre through the Moray Growth Deal. This investment focuses on advancing research and innovation in digital health, aiding the remobilisation of health and social care services in the region. Home / Rural Centre of Excellence (RCE) Live Hub The Rural Centre of Excellence (RCE) for Digital Health and Care in Moray is a £5 million initiative funded by the UK Government and delivered by the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre through the Moray Growth Deal. The RCE accelerates the research, development and adoption of digital health and care solutions, supporting the transformation of services across Moray. Working with industry, academia, the public sector and local communities, it creates a real-world rural environment where innovation can be designed, tested and scaled. In partnership with the Moray Health and Social Care Partnership and people with lived experience, the RCE is developing new approaches to improve health, wellbeing and independent living. These innovations are designed to scale nationally and internationally, with a strong focus on inclusion and accessibility. Areas of Focus DHI identified 4 key areas of focus to support the remobilisation of health and care services in Moray. Living labs Skills Demonstration & Simulation Environment Join Our Citizen Panel Upcoming events No events at the moment Resources Moray Growth Deal – Full details What is the Moray Growth Deal YouTube video My Moray website - Moray Growth Deal Full Moray Growth Deal official press release Moray Rural Centre of Excellence for Digital Health and Care Innovation Launch press release Blog from Karim Mahmoud on his thoughts on the Moray RCE launch event RCE events and resources 140225 Smart Housing Proof of Concept FAQs 140225 Smart Housing Proof of Concept Call - Industry Engagement Q&A Session (session 1) 140225 Smart Housing Proof of Concept Call - Industry Engagement Q&A Session (session 2) 101224 Digifest 2024: Satellite Event: Smart Communities Facilitating Digital Access and Inclusion 230322 - Introducing the RCE on-demand video 230322 - Introducing the RCE slide deck 230322 - Introducing the RCE post-event write up Contact details Address: Rural Centre of Excellence for Digital Health and Care Innovation in the Moray Region, Room 210 Alexander Graham Bell Centre for Digital Health UHI Moray Moray Street Elgin Moray IV30 1JJ Email us: rce@dhi-scotland.com Partners

Anna WhyteProject Support Officer < Return to team Anna Whyte Project Support Officer Anna holds a BSc with honours in Applied Pharmacology and Biochemistry and has a background in research and laboratory work. With a deep-seated passion for science and research, Anna is enthusiastic about engaging with the Digital Mental Health Innovation Cluster team, where she contributes to the expanding connections between technology and healthcare. In her role, Anna is responsible for supporting, developing, and managing the ongoing activities of the Digital Mental Health Innovation Cluster. Email LinkedIn Related Projects Next team member Previous team page Team page

This Supporting Evidence Report accompanies the main Final Report of the DLS Phase 2 evaluation. It contains detailed appendices with monitoring data, survey results, qualitative matrices, stakeholder interviews, and sustainability analyses. Designed to provide transparency and depth, it underpins the evaluation findings and conclusions presented in the main report. This document is primarily intended for evaluators, funders, policymakers, and delivery partners seeking in-depth evidence and examples of practice across funded projects. < Return to resources Evaluation of the Digital Lifelines Scotland (DLS) Programme – SUPPORTING EVIDENCE REPORT Perkins, A., Dumbrell, J., Livingston, W., McCluskey, S., Steele, S. This Supporting Evidence Report accompanies the main Final Report of the DLS Phase 2 evaluation. It contains detailed appendices with monitoring data, survey results, qualitative matrices, stakeholder interviews, and sustainability analyses. Designed to provide transparency and depth, it underpins the evaluation findings and conclusions presented in the main report. This document is primarily intended for evaluators, funders, policymakers, and delivery partners seeking in-depth evidence and examples of practice across funded projects. View resource Previous item Next item Evaluation of the Digital Lifelines Scotland (DLS) Programme – SUPPORTING EVIDENCE REPORT Report 2025 Start Now

The Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (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. Home / Innovating health and social care In the complex landscape of health and social care, numerous terms such as Telehealth, Telemedicine, and Telecare are frequently employed to describe the integration of technology in healthcare services. Our definition Building on the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) definition of digital health, DHI defines digital health and social care as the field(s) of knowledge and practice associated with the development and use of digital technologies to improve both individual and population health and wellbeing, and to improve health and social care delivery. Digital health and care solutions include digital and data infrastructures, wearable and mobile devices and monitors, digital health and care systems, telehealth and telecare solutions, telemedicine, personalised care, data analytics, cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT). Digitising social care "Digitising” is a better-known term than “digitalising”. "Digitising social care" refers to converting information into a digital format (e.g. converting a piece of paper into a PDF). "Digitalising social care" involves using digital technologies to enhance , streamline , and improve social care services. This includes implementing electronic health records, digital care plans, remote monitoring, telehealth, mobile apps for caregivers and patients, and other digital tools to increase efficiency , accessibility , and quality of care provided to individuals in need of social services. The aim is to make social care more responsive, personalised, and integrated with healthcare systems. By leveraging insights from these innovations, the DHI aims to facilitate the transformation of health and care services. This includes improving access to services, minimising healthcare costs, enhancing the quality of care , and offering personalised healthcare solutions. Our approach underscores the importance of integrating technology in healthcare to achieve a more efficient , effective , and patient-centred system. Pioneering Digital Transformation in Health and Social Care DHI supports the digital transformation of health and social care services to promote healthy lives and wellbeing for the citizens of Scotland. As an international thought leader in the digital health and social care research and innovation space (R&I), DHI: Supports the health and social care industry to create digitally enabled, person-centred solutions, and reimagine new business models to take them to market. Assists health and social care services to transform, and to develop new evidence-based service models which enable partners to get ready for adoption of digital solutions at scale. Prepares the current and future workforce and service users to operate confidently in the digital environment. Engaging with citizens, and through collaboration with government, academia, industry, and frontline services, DHI fosters innovation that is sustainable, scalable, and transformative - ensuring all partners can derive benefit from new and emergent technologies and Scotland remains at the forefront of digital health and social care globally. Discover how we do it

This plan describes the evolution, substance and intended implementation of DHI’s refreshed approach to commercial industry engagement. It aims to help more Scottish SMEs, start-ups and spin outs take their innovations to health and social care markets through focusing on Top Tier suppliers to the NHS and social care providers as their key customers. This approach will enable more SMEs to commercialise and scale in Scotland, and access overseas markets; Scottish Health and Social Care providers to access more de-risked innovations; Scotland’s citizens to benefit from deployment of innovative products and services; and Top Tier Suppliers to address gaps in their innovation pipeline. < Return to resources DHI Industry Engagement Plan 2024 – 2027 Lyons, Abigail and MacKenzie, Moira This plan describes the evolution, substance and intended implementation of DHI’s refreshed approach to commercial industry engagement. It aims to help more Scottish SMEs, start-ups and spin outs take their innovations to health and social care markets through focusing on Top Tier suppliers to the NHS and social care providers as their key customers. This approach will enable more SMEs to commercialise and scale in Scotland, and access overseas markets; Scottish Health and Social Care providers to access more de-risked innovations; Scotland’s citizens to benefit from deployment of innovative products and services; and Top Tier Suppliers to address gaps in their innovation pipeline. View resource Previous item Next item DHI Industry Engagement Plan 2024 – 2027 Report 2024 Start Now

Our Partners The #DigiInventors Challenge is organised by the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI) as its flagship schools’ programme in collaboration with leading partners in education, innovation, entrepreneurship, and health and social care across Scotland and the UAE. Filter by Challenge type Primary Secondary

This paper discusses important considerations when developing assistive technology with and for older adults. Two case studies demonstrate the use of Experience Labs to engage older adults in a participatory design process in the early stages of development of novel sensor systems. Firstly, we present the ‘Interaction Space’ as a holistic way to model and understand interaction between people, products, technology, and environments when developing complex systems. It is argued that looking at the interaction between older adults and technology benefits from a holistic view of the Interaction Space in which primary and secondary users are continuously acting together with the technology. We then highlight considerations when developing technology systems with participants who are not confident technology users, to design meaningful spaces for critical reflection and creative collaboration. We conclude that the Experience Lab approach enables a better understanding of the impact of the proposed technologies. < Return to resources Interaction Space: Older Adults and in-Home Systems Blom, Jeroen and French, Tara and Teal, Gemma This paper discusses important considerations when developing assistive technology with and for older adults. Two case studies demonstrate the use of Experience Labs to engage older adults in a participatory design process in the early stages of development of novel sensor systems. Firstly, we present the ‘Interaction Space’ as a holistic way to model and understand interaction between people, products, technology, and environments when developing complex systems. It is argued that looking at the interaction between older adults and technology benefits from a holistic view of the Interaction Space in which primary and secondary users are continuously acting together with the technology. We then highlight considerations when developing technology systems with participants who are not confident technology users, to design meaningful spaces for critical reflection and creative collaboration. We conclude that the Experience Lab approach enables a better understanding of the impact of the proposed technologies. View resource Previous item Next item Interaction Space: Older Adults and in-Home Systems Paper 2016 Start Now

In current medical literature, there's widespread mention of citizen empowerment and person-centered care, yet implementing these concepts poses a significant challenge. Amid rising demand and limited resources in healthcare, the realization is dawning that technology-enabled care could offer sustainable solutions. While consumer electronics companies have long prioritized customer satisfaction through hassle-free, personalized interactions, the healthcare system lags behind in adopting similar approaches, prompting reflection on this disparity. < Return to resources Thoughts on Citizen Empowerment and Person-centred Care Crooks, George In current medical literature, there's widespread mention of citizen empowerment and person-centered care, yet implementing these concepts poses a significant challenge. Amid rising demand and limited resources in healthcare, the realization is dawning that technology-enabled care could offer sustainable solutions. While consumer electronics companies have long prioritized customer satisfaction through hassle-free, personalized interactions, the healthcare system lags behind in adopting similar approaches, prompting reflection on this disparity. View resource Previous item Next item Thoughts on Citizen Empowerment and Person-centred Care Blog post 2018 Start Now

This report examines international strategies to support effective self-isolation and incentivize compliance during COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns in May 2020. < Return to resources Global Examples of Methods and Tools for Supporting and Incentivising Self-Isolation at Home Thomas, J., Rimpiläinen, S. & Morrison, C. This report examines international strategies to support effective self-isolation and incentivize compliance during COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns in May 2020. View resource Previous item Next item Global Examples of Methods and Tools for Supporting and Incentivising Self-Isolation at Home Report 2020 Start Now

On 4 June 2025, leading experts, clinicians, policymakers, patient advocates from across NHS Scottish Government, academic , research and Industry gathered for a thought leadership event exploring global collaboration in diabetes innovation, research and system transformation. Hosted by the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI) in partnership with the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and Lemonmint, the event explored with senior leaders’ opportunities for global collaboration in diabetes innovation, research and system transformation. < Return to resources Transforming Diabetes Care through Innovation: Leveraging Scotland’s Collaborative Ecosystem Thought Leadership Event Summary Report Michelle Brogan & Janette Hughes On 4 June 2025, leading experts, clinicians, policymakers, patient advocates from across NHS Scottish Government, academic , research and Industry gathered for a thought leadership event exploring global collaboration in diabetes innovation, research and system transformation. Hosted by the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI) in partnership with the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and Lemonmint, the event explored with senior leaders’ opportunities for global collaboration in diabetes innovation, research and system transformation. View resource Previous item Next item Transforming Diabetes Care through Innovation: Leveraging Scotland’s Collaborative Ecosystem Thought Leadership Event Summary Report Executive summary 2025 Start Now

This report reviews current diabetes policy in Scotland, and analyses the current and emerging digital health technology market for diabetes care in 2019. < Return to resources Structured Education and Digital Learning for Diabetes Care in Scotland Morrison, Ciarán This report reviews current diabetes policy in Scotland, and analyses the current and emerging digital health technology market for diabetes care in 2019. View resource Previous item Next item Structured Education and Digital Learning for Diabetes Care in Scotland Report 2019 Start Now

The Next Generation Asthma Care position paper sets out a collaborative research project led by the DHI with input from Asthma UK. < Return to resources Next Generation Asthma Care Chute, Chaloner and Hepburn, Leigh Anne and Rooney, Laura The Next Generation Asthma Care position paper sets out a collaborative research project led by the DHI with input from Asthma UK. View resource Previous item Next item Next Generation Asthma Care Paper 2018 Start Now

This is a report of a formative evaluation of the National Decision Support Programme, focusing on Cambio, a pilot platform tested in primary care. The Scottish Government funded the National Decision Support Roadmap in 2015 to enhance decision support in health and care settings, leading to the development of a Decision Support Platform. Stakeholders supported Cambio as an open standards-based decision support platform, emphasizing the need for strong national leadership, system usability, and ongoing monitoring to address potential challenges in implementation and achieve desired benefits. < Return to resources Creating and Applying an Evaluation Framework for the National Decision Support Programme in Scotland Cresswell, Kathrin and Callaghan, Margaret and Mozaffar, Hajar and Sheikh, Aziz This is a report of a formative evaluation of the National Decision Support Programme, focusing on Cambio, a pilot platform tested in primary care. The Scottish Government funded the National Decision Support Roadmap in 2015 to enhance decision support in health and care settings, leading to the development of a Decision Support Platform. Stakeholders supported Cambio as an open standards-based decision support platform, emphasizing the need for strong national leadership, system usability, and ongoing monitoring to address potential challenges in implementation and achieve desired benefits. View resource Previous item Next item Creating and Applying an Evaluation Framework for the National Decision Support Programme in Scotland Article 2019 Start Now

One of the prime examples within the past few decades of citizen-centred data sharing has been the provision of people’s data to own, share and store through electronic ID systems. This has been implemented in several European regions already and has been hugely successful. This was achieved by aligning all of a person’s data to their national identification number or a national identifier. < Return to resources Citizen-centred Data Sharing: National Identifiers Rooney, Laura One of the prime examples within the past few decades of citizen-centred data sharing has been the provision of people’s data to own, share and store through electronic ID systems. This has been implemented in several European regions already and has been hugely successful. This was achieved by aligning all of a person’s data to their national identification number or a national identifier. View resource Previous item Next item Citizen-centred Data Sharing: National Identifiers Blog post 2018 Start Now

This Year 4 annual report highlights DHIs significant impact in the past year. DHI has advanced various strategic initiatives, including crafting our 10-year strategy, which played a pivotal role in shaping the SFC Infrastructure Investment case and presentation. Furthermore, we’ve successfully transformed our headquarters in Glasgow to create a more agile and inspiring space. < Return to resources Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre Phase 2 - Year 4 Annual Report (August 2022 to July 2023) Hughes, J This Year 4 annual report highlights DHIs significant impact in the past year. DHI has advanced various strategic initiatives, including crafting our 10-year strategy, which played a pivotal role in shaping the SFC Infrastructure Investment case and presentation. Furthermore, we’ve successfully transformed our headquarters in Glasgow to create a more agile and inspiring space. View resource Previous item Next item Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre Phase 2 - Year 4 Annual Report (August 2022 to July 2023) Executive summary 2023 Start Now

Recent studies within the UK have indicated that there is a need to incorporate patient stories into health records, to improve quality and continuity of care. This is particularly important when treating people with multiple long‐term health conditions (multimorbidity), whose health stories can be particularly complex. The objective of the study was to understand the goals and requirements of people with multimorbidity for digital health storytelling tools. The findings indicate that people living with multimorbidity would use health storytelling tools to understand and reflect on their journeys, convey their experiences to others and advocate for themselves against scepticism. Future research could explore other areas such as collaborative health storytelling or the technical implementation of tools. < Return to resources Patient co-design of digital health storytelling tools for multimorbidity: A phenomenological study Cummings, Marissa, Bradley, Jay and Teal, Gemma Recent studies within the UK have indicated that there is a need to incorporate patient stories into health records, to improve quality and continuity of care. This is particularly important when treating people with multiple long‐term health conditions (multimorbidity), whose health stories can be particularly complex. The objective of the study was to understand the goals and requirements of people with multimorbidity for digital health storytelling tools. The findings indicate that people living with multimorbidity would use health storytelling tools to understand and reflect on their journeys, convey their experiences to others and advocate for themselves against scepticism. Future research could explore other areas such as collaborative health storytelling or the technical implementation of tools. View resource Previous item Next item Patient co-design of digital health storytelling tools for multimorbidity: A phenomenological study Paper 2022 Start Now

Designed Engagement uses design methods and skills to transform the way we talk to people in the community. We go to where people are, designing positive and thought-provoking public engagement to stimulate creative dialogue and explore new ways of addressing societal challenges. Involving the public in dialogue around changes to policy and the design of services is a key target for policy makers, however traditional approaches offer little scope for creativity and meaningful engagement. Design brings a wealth of expertise to create engaging experiences, facilitate dialogue, and translate insights into tangible outputs for decision makers. We introduce ‘Designed Engagement’ to denote design-led approaches to public engagement, illustrated through two examples of pop-up Designed Engagement. We discuss advantages, limitations, and implications for design, concluding with the need for further research to evaluate and demonstrate the contribution and value of design in public engagement. < Return to resources Designed Engagement Teal, Gemma and French, Tara Designed Engagement uses design methods and skills to transform the way we talk to people in the community. We go to where people are, designing positive and thought-provoking public engagement to stimulate creative dialogue and explore new ways of addressing societal challenges. Involving the public in dialogue around changes to policy and the design of services is a key target for policy makers, however traditional approaches offer little scope for creativity and meaningful engagement. Design brings a wealth of expertise to create engaging experiences, facilitate dialogue, and translate insights into tangible outputs for decision makers. We introduce ‘Designed Engagement’ to denote design-led approaches to public engagement, illustrated through two examples of pop-up Designed Engagement. We discuss advantages, limitations, and implications for design, concluding with the need for further research to evaluate and demonstrate the contribution and value of design in public engagement. View resource Previous item Next item Designed Engagement Paper 2016 Start Now

Long-term conditions in Scotland, which include diseases like asthma and COPD, contribute significantly to healthcare utilization and mortality rates. Asthma, characterized by variable symptoms and airflow limitation, lacks a precise understanding of its triggers. This paper proposes using open-source datasets and machine learning to estimate asthma hospitalization rates with a high level of accuracy, aiding in predictive modelling with an 86.67% success rate. < Return to resources Open-source Data Analysis and Machine Learning for Asthma Hospitalisation Rates Chute, Chaloner and Rooney, Laura and Buchanan, Bill and Smales, Adrian and Hepburn, Leigh Anne Long-term conditions in Scotland, which include diseases like asthma and COPD, contribute significantly to healthcare utilization and mortality rates. Asthma, characterized by variable symptoms and airflow limitation, lacks a precise understanding of its triggers. This paper proposes using open-source datasets and machine learning to estimate asthma hospitalization rates with a high level of accuracy, aiding in predictive modelling with an 86.67% success rate. View resource Previous item Next item Open-source Data Analysis and Machine Learning for Asthma Hospitalisation Rates Article 2018 Start Now

The Digital Care Collaborative Scotland (DCCS) was launched in December 2025 to create the conditions for sustainable digital innovation across social care, social work and housing. It brings together national partners and people with lived experience from across care, housing, academia, policy and industry to accelerate the adoption of digital approaches that improve outcomes for people and communities.  < Return to resources Digital Care Collaborative Scotland A community driving digital innovation across social care, social work and housing Professor Margaret Whoriskey, Dr Tara French and Dr Sanna Rimpilainen The Digital Care Collaborative Scotland (DCCS) was launched in December 2025 to create the conditions for sustainable digital innovation across social care, social work and housing. It brings together national partners and people with lived experience from across care, housing, academia, policy and industry to accelerate the adoption of digital approaches that improve outcomes for people and communities. View resource Previous item Next item Digital Care Collaborative Scotland A community driving digital innovation across social care, social work and housing Executive summary 2026 Start Now

Person-centred Records is a collaboration between NHS Grampian and the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI). NHS Grampian has committed to the implementation of in-patient electronic record keeping that will provide a safer and more effective service for patients admitted to their hospitals. We worked with NHS Grampian hospital staff across all disciplines to design a single, person-centred, multi-disciplinary, electronic record that will follow the patient on their journey from admission to discharge. We employed design innovation methodologies to ensure that the recommended solutions were achieved with the person (patients and professionals) at the centre. < Return to resources Person-centred Records Bradley, Jay, Bruce, Angela and Rossi, G. Person-centred Records is a collaboration between NHS Grampian and the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI). NHS Grampian has committed to the implementation of in-patient electronic record keeping that will provide a safer and more effective service for patients admitted to their hospitals. We worked with NHS Grampian hospital staff across all disciplines to design a single, person-centred, multi-disciplinary, electronic record that will follow the patient on their journey from admission to discharge. We employed design innovation methodologies to ensure that the recommended solutions were achieved with the person (patients and professionals) at the centre. View resource Previous item Next item Person-centred Records Report 2019 Start Now