COSMOS

The human need for communication and integration is unlimited in time, place and content in all life situations. This is especially true for people who pursue similar interests or goals or are confronted with certain problems. Cosmos is a collaborative project consisting of four subprojects: Lifestyle, Healthcare, Infrastructure and Learningcenter.

The goal of the Healthcare subproject is to design and pilot a community in the field of oncology. Cancer patients' needs for reliable information, contact with others affected, and social support should be able to be met wherever they arise, and not just in specially designated places.

So-called mobile communities are made possible by a communication platform that is available anytime and anywhere with conventional as well as mobile access devices. With the help of the network-supported community, longer-term, value-based strategies for coping with an existentially critical disease situation are being developed for the oncology domain. Particular importance is attached to interaction, cohesion and solidarity among the participants in the formation of these ubiquitous communities.

Cancer patients are provided with professional and scientifically validated information independent of time and place. In addition, the integration of patients into a community is made possible. Mobile and conventional applications are tailored to the specific needs of the target group "cancer patients" and continuously developed further together with project partners and patients. Based on these findings, business, service and operator models will be developed and condensed into generic models within the framework of the joint project. Finally, a generic guideline for the systematic development of mobile communities (community engineering) will be developed.

Research partner

• Technical University of Munich,
• University of Hohenheim,
• O2 (Germany) GmbH & Co. OHG.

Other partners

• AOK Baden-Württemberg,
• Cancer Information Service KID,
• Interdisciplinary Tumor Center,
• Onkologischer Schwerpunkt Stuttgart e.V. and
• Dr. Šonje Webconsult GmbH.

Federal Ministry of Education and Research
Grant number 01 HW 0107 - 01 HW 011

• www.cosmos-community.org
• www.krebsgemeinschaft.de
• Project description TUM - Technical University of Munich

• Prof. Dr. Jan Marco Leimeister