Towards qualification for health and social care professionals in the field of digital technologies : the European project “DDSkills”

The possibilities of digital technologies for people with disabilities or the older population are wide-ranging, but in order for all people to be able to participate in an increasingly “digital world” it is important to quality professionals and organizations so that they are able to support, advise and help with potential risks. The article presents results of a survey among health and social care professionals in seven European countries with regard to qualification in this domain and introduces the European Union funded project DDSkills. The project aims to qualify health and social care professionals in areas such as digital Assistive Technologies, Smart Home, Robotics, Virtual and Augmented Reality and Brain-Computer-Interface, as well as their implementation and application, in order to support people with disabilities or functional decline to increase their independence and social participation.