News

In April, the research team of the Center for Social Informatics (project leader: assistant professor Dr Andraž Petrovčič, other collaborating researchers: Dr Vesna Dolničar, Dr Simona Hvalič-Touzery and Dr Katja Prevodnik, and Jerneja Laznik) presented the final report of the results of a qualitative study on the use of telemedicine among patients with chronic diseases (type 2 diabetes and/or hypertension).

In the context of World Hypertension Day (17th May), we publish the key findings of an intervention and qualitative study among patients with chronic diseases (type 2 diabetes and/or hypertension), contributing to the awareness of the hypertension.

Young researcher Natalija Rebrica, who has been a member of the Centre for Social Informatics since October 2019, will present the topic of her doctoral dissertation in the field of social informatics entitled "The Awareness Factors of Smart Technologies for Independent Living at Home among Individuals in an Aging Society".

On March 1, 2021, the Centre for Social Informatics celebrated its 10th anniversary of establishment. At its inception, it had 16 members; today, with 25 members, it is one of the largest centres at University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Social Sciences.

The Project CYBERSAFEMOOC is financed by ERASMUS + Programme and continues the projects ODKLIKNI! and CYBERSAFE. It will address the topic of online violence against girls which is a pressing problem that many school professionals are not equipped enough to address or tackle.

The COST Action International Interdisciplinary Network on Smart Healthy Age-friendly Environments (Net4Age-Friendly) started in end October 2020. The Action has formal representatives from 41 countries. The Action already gathers a network of 260 researchers from 50 countries around the world, two also from the Centre for Social Informatics, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana (Dr. Vesna Dolničar, Dr. Simona Hvalič Touzery).

Due to the COVID-19 crisis and the restrictive measures taken worldwide, violence against women and girls seems to have increased. Women's rights groups and victims support groups reported an increase of domestic violence and dramatic effects on the sexual and reproductive rights of women and girls. However, another aspect of the crisis is still under-reported and official data is lacking: The effects of COVID-19 on cyber violence against girls and women are still under investigation.

The Centre for Social Informatics participated at 12th World Conference of Gerontechnology. We gave two presentations, among others on the psychosocial impacts of telemonitoring system utilization and on the psychological outcomes of telecare use in informal care and as i-evAALution research partner participated in the preparation of the presentation on the i-evAALution randomized control trial.

Dr. Katja Prevodnik presented the results of an intervention study on the use of telemedicine equipment among patients with chronic disease at the ISG 2020 conference, which took place in early October in virtual form. The research group was invited by prof. dr. Walter Boot, who organized a symposium about International perspectives on technology use: Adoption, proficiency, and relationships with health and well-being.

The research group working on the project Understanding and analysis of users’ needs for the development of e-services for integrated social and health care in the aging society attended the virtual annual conference of The Gerontological Society of America. They presented a poster with the results of an intervention study on the use of a telemedicine system among patients with chronic diseases in Slovenia.