HEAL (Highly-automated-demand-orientated-rural)

Description

The project "HEAL - demand-oriented and highly automated transport in Bad Birnbach - networking medical supply and demand, better accessibility and more social participation" aimed to expand the already existing and tested route network of an automated shuttle bus in the rural Lower Bavarian spa town of Bad Birnbach and to supplement it with a demand-oriented on-demand operation.

The existing network of routes was supplemented by additional streets with important points of contact such as shops, sports, leisure, cultural and healthcare facilities. The aim was to make it easier for citizens and visitors to the resort to access these facilities - especially those who are restricted in their mobility, for example due to a lack of family support, existing physical impairments or a lack of a car. The aim is to improve the participation of this group of people in social life.

The Chair of Public Health and Health Services Research was responsible for the accompanying scientific research in the overall project with the aim of evaluating the effectiveness of automated driving, including the on-demand service.

Co-operation partner

The HEAL project was a joint project involving the market town of Bad Birnbach, the district of Rottal-Inn, Regionalbus Ostbayern GmbH (RBO) and the Chair of Public Health and Health Services Research at the Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometry and Epidemiology (IBE) at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) Munich.

Concept

The HEAL project runs in three sub-studies, which are continuously accompanied by a process and results evaluation. The results of the process and outcome evaluation are continuously incorporated into the development of a process-orientated logical model.

Sub-study 1: Analysis of physical activity and social network behaviour as well as social participation

• Written survey and social network analysis of the current state of physical activity and social network behaviour and social participation
• Semi-structured individual interviews with vulnerable groups of people and qualitative analysis
• Longitudinal recording of changes in the above-mentioned contents

Sub-study 2: Investigation of the health care situation

• Systematic recording of the existing healthcare provision structure
• Quantitative data collection on the needs and usage behaviour of the population
• Carrying out a second survey wave in order to record changes in the offer structure and utilisation behaviour after implementation of the test operation
• Analysing the health care situation when establishing digital (e-health) and physical (on-demand operation of automated driving) links between medical and therapeutic care facilities

Sub-study 3: Exploration of social acceptance and user acceptance

• Identification of the stakeholders and stakeholder groups relevant to the overall project
• Recording of assessments and interests regarding the transport concept introduced
• Survey of the general acceptance of digitalisation in the transport sector and user acceptance of automated on-demand shuttles via online population survey

Current status

The pre/post data collection and cross-sectional surveys in all three sub-studies have been completed. The third and final survey wave will start in spring 2023.

Results are available, which were presented at the 59th Joint Annual Conference of the German Society for Social Medicine and Prevention (DGSMP e.V.) and the German Society for Medical Sociology (DGMS) (https://dgsmp-dgms-2022.de/), which took place in Dresden from 11 to 13 September 2024.

The results are currently being published.

Project duration

12/2020 - 06/2023

Funding

The project is funded by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport as part of the funding guideline "A future-proof, sustainable mobility system through automated driving and networking" (funding period: 12/2020 - 06/2023)

Links

https://heal-badbirnbach.de/
https://www.badbirnbach.de/heal

Contact persons

Dr. Michaela Coenen (MPH postgrad.)
coenen@ibe.med.uni-muenchen.de

Dr. Sandra Kus (MPH postgrad.)
skus@ibe.med.uni-muenchen.de

Patricia von Mallek (MSc Public Health)
pmallek@ibe.med.uni-muenchen.de