Abstract Background Demographic shifts, an ageing population, increasing chronic illnesses, and other societal challenges are placing growing pressure on the healthcare and welfare sectors in Flanders, Belgium. These trends, compounded by a shortage of qualified personnel, intensify emotional and physical strain, reduce job satisfaction, and threaten the sustainability of care work. As care becomes increasingly complex and interdisciplinary, there is a pressing need for innovative, technology-driven solutions to support workability. Methods This study employed a participatory Living Lab methodology to explore how technology can enhance work conditions across five care sectors: elderly care, disability care, youth care, childcare, and social enterprises for supported employment. A mixed-methods approach was used, combining semi-structured interviews (n = 38), co-creation workshops (n = 52), and an online survey (n = 526). The iterative research design allowed for continuous feedback and refinement of identified needs and technological opportunities. Results Key challenges across sectors include high workload, emotional and physical strain, and administrative burden. Participants identified six relevant categories of care technologies: assistive, ergonomic, activating, relaxing, administrative, and educational tools. These technologies were seen as promising in alleviating strain, improving work organization, and enhancing job satisfaction. Survey results indicated that 79% of respondents were open to adopting technology, contingent upon adequate training, ease of use, cost-effectiveness, and managerial support. Barriers such as time constraints, resistance to change, and limited resources were also noted. Conclusions Tailored technological interventions have strong potential to improve workability in the healthcare and welfare sectors by addressing sector-specific challenges. A collaborative, bottom-up approach involving frontline care workers is essential for successful integration and sustained use of these technologies. Future efforts will focus on the development and evaluation of pilot projects to validate these solutions in practice.
Drijkoningen et al. (Thu,) studied this question.