Re-hub-ILITY: A Personalized Home System and Virtual Coach to Support and Empower Elderly People with Chronic Conditions

The use of digital technologies in support of the needs of the ageing population is gaining momentum. Publicly funded as well as private initiatives are taking place at regional, national and international levels. The Lombardy Regional System has redefined the healthcare model of assistance focusing on a global and integrated care of the person. Rehabilitation of the chronic patients, however, is still fragmented and the transition to home in the post-acute phase is a time of high discontinuity in care due to poor patient adherence and motivation, poor understanding of benefits of rehabilitation care, poor predisposition to change in lifestyle. Hence, the urgency to validate models of assistance that are able to combine technological solutions with health needs in order to ensure continuity and quality of care for chronic patients. Re-Hub-ILITY is a project funded by Lombardy Region with the aim of integrating complementary approaches and technologies in support of the therapeutic alliance between patients, healthcare professionals and caregivers in the wider sense. Re-Hub-ILITY has started in February 2020 and will have a duration of 30 months. The model and solution will be tested with a population of 30 patients under the coordination of ICS Maugeri Spa Società Benefit––I.R.C.C.S. The partnership includes technology providers as well as universities with a multidisciplinary approach. The paper presents the approach, some preliminary results and the expected impacts.