In Värmskog there is a tradition among the locals to do it themselves. It has resulted in everything from the construction of a sports hall to a fiber network and a service point where you can eventually shop around the clock. The possibilities of testing new health services for rural needs are now being investigated in collaboration with DigitalWell Arena.
Värmskog is in many ways the opposite of the smaller towns you often see described in negative terms. The challenges are the same, but here a strong tradition of tackling things together has emerged.
According to Lisa Gärdt, a member of Bygdegårdsföreningen, the foundation is the cooperative preschool and independent school, both of which are run via the same financial association.
- The school is the hub and foundation, without it everything else dies out, says Lisa Gärdt.
The list of "everything else" the district has achieved with joint efforts is impressively long. A sports hall that was built for the most part with non-profit efforts. A fiber network drawn up via a local association. And when the preschool needed to be expanded, of course that also took place with joint efforts.
- In some way, you have to get out of an uphill battle and create opportunities that bring in new residents, says Lisa Gärdt.
As late as 2016, a vision group was put together to investigate the possibility of receiving support via Leader Närheten, an investment in rural development financed by EU funds in Grums, Kil, Karlstad, Forshaga and Hammarö.
The vision group gathered local residents and the business community to get opinions on what was vital for Värmskog to continue to be a good place to live. A common thought was the idea of a common service point.
Now it is in place and many balls have been set in motion to create value for both tourists and villagers. In the long term, you will be able to pick up your grocery bag and shop around the clock in an unmanned store with the help of a tag system you have invested in. The building also has a conference room, which can fulfill several different needs, and workplaces, where you can also think about which services that can be designed in the field of health.
Therefore, thoughts on offering certain care services linked to the service point have started to take shape. Lisa Gärdt and the fiber network association's chairman, Dag Hallén, contact DigitalWell Arena to investigate the possibilities for a collaboration.
The initial discussions have been about testing some form of digital health services, where, for example, a nurse who is shared with the school or the home service could become a bridge to digital care services. This can, for example, involve taking blood pressure and other tests or giving support and advice during pregnancies.
- It can include the whole concept of health, not just contact with healthcare when you are sick, via digital tools, says Lisa Gärdt, who says that most people today get in the car to go to Grums, Arvika or Karlstad to solve their care needs.
For DigitalWell Arena, Värmskog could be an interesting test bed for digiphysical health services, which could then be expanded to more locations in the country if the results turn out well.
- There is a power in Värmskog that is very interesting, it can provide an opportunity for our entrepreneurs and partners to test new solutions in a new way based on the population's needs and demand, says Cecilia Karlsson, innovation leader in DigitalWell Arena.
The next step is a workshop, where together you will make a needs inventory to find examples of health needs for rural areas where digitization can contribute to a solution.
