At The Hermit award show, which took place on 7 May 2024, the Aalborg and Høje-Taastrup Municipalities together with Liva Healthcare were announced as winners for our collaboration on a successful implementation of our digital healthcare solution. An effort which, according to The Hermit jury, deserves a tribute, as it has successfully managed to bring the prevention of lifestyle diseases into the modern age.
“The implementation of the solution in the municipalities is remarkable and an example to follow. The combination of digital tools and expert support has ensured greater accessibility and flexibility for citizens in the prevention of lifestyle diseases,” explains Jury member Per Bennetsen.
The jury, which consists of the Danish Nursing Council’s chairwoman, Dorthe Boe Danbjørg, and Danske Patients’ director Morten Freil, also highlighted that the win was because the implementation reduced the burden on the Danish health system and created a more attractive and flexible working environment for healthcare professionals.
Rethinking prevention
In both Aalborg and Høje-Taastrup Municipality, there was a need to rethink prevention efforts for the many Danes who live with cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and severe obesity. Both municipalities therefore saw an opportunity through Liva Healthcare – a digital tool that combines professional support with flexibility through digital technology, personalised health programs and app-based coaching.
“We are proud to receive such a prestigious award – not least when we look at the strong field. The award emphasises that we are succeeding with Liva, and that we are well on our way with the implementation of digital solutions that are in demand by the citizens,” says Torben K. Kjeldgaard, Head of Health and Prevention in Aalborg Municipality.
Høje-Taastrup Municipality is also proud of the achievement: “I am super proud that we have won the Health Tech Implementation award. With the Liva app, we succeed in using technology to provide both a tailored and flexible offer of individual health guidance”, says Jeanette Ingemann, Chairman of the Elderly and Health Committee in Høje-Taastrup Municipality.
Innovation for a more inclusive healthcare sector
The preliminary results of Aalborg and Høje-Taastrup Municipality’s implementation of Liva Healthcare are palpable. Both municipalities have, among other things, experienced significantly higher weight loss among people with type 2 diabetes, where the average weight reduction is 8 times higher than what is achieved through usual methods. In addition, there is high satisfaction among the healthcare staff who have delivered the solution to the citizens, because it has enabled better contact with the most difficult-to-reach people in the municipality.
Jeanette Ingemann, chairman of the Elderly and Health Committee in Høje-Taastrup Municipality, calls it ‘the flexible welfare of the future’ and elaborates: “It is an offer that the citizen can easily fit into a busy everyday life, where they control the pace. It is a good offer for people who do not thrive with group lessons and similar alternatives. This way, we have the opportunity to help more”.
The implementation of Liva Healthcare in the municipalities resulted in stronger access to healthcare support. Lisa Bolting from Liva Healthcare, highlights that the Liva platform has helps break down health inequalities: “It also benefits the most vulnerable in our society, and that is the heart of our mission to create a more inclusive and equitable health sector for all”.
“We are enormously proud to be nominated and not least to win the award. It is a huge pat on the back for the approximately 1,000 people who have received guidance through Liva. And not least a recognition of the employees’ efforts with daily digital contact with patients, and who do their best to support them in their lifestyle changes”, says Mads Borgstrøm-Hansen, head of the Center for Health Promotion in Aalborg Municipality.
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About The Hermit
The Health Tech Implementation Award, The Hermit, was created by Health Tech Hub Copenhagen, a non-profit healthtech cluster with the aim of supporting the implementation and scaling of digital health solutions in Denmark. The award is recognition of the successful collaboration that builds a bridge between the healthcare system and healthcare technology. Innovative solutions can have a big impact if implemented correctly. The Hermit is a joint achievement – we celebrate the collaborations, but especially the healthcare staff who take the chance and succeed in implementing new healthcare technology. The analogy of the hermit crab’s need for a suitable shell in order to live and grow symbolises how health technology solutions find a foothold in the public health system. This year’s Health Tech Implementation Award was held on 7 May 2024 as part of the Copenhagen Health Tech Summit. This is the third time the prize has been awarded.
The jury, which has selected this year’s winner, consists of:
Ricco Dyhr, director of Zealand University Hospital Dorthe Boe Danbjørg, forewoman of the Danish Nursing Council, Ann-Louise Reventlow-Mourier, specialist practitioner and chairman of the medical association’s IT committee Per Bennetsen, director of Copenhagen’s Health and Care Administration Morten Freil, director of Danish Patients
