In early June 2026, the anthology “Sustainable Regional Health in East Westphalia-Lippe” (edited by Julius Freymüller et al.) was published by oekom science. The Discrete Systems working group, led by Prof. Dr. Volker Lohweg, has contributed to the publication with an article on Parkinson’s disease.
The concrete living environments of a region
The book, which bears the subtitle “Current Situation and Prospects for Action”, explores the question of how the health of a region – in this case, East Westphalia-Lippe – can be shaped in a sustainable manner. The aim is to deliberately move away from the ivory tower of research and science. Instead, the focus is on people’s concrete living environments, whether in rural or urban areas. The topic of health is not considered in isolation, but is placed within the broader context of social life.
A successful example: the Parkinson’s Network OWL+
Dr. Christoph-Alexander Holst and Prof. Dr. Volker Lohweg, together with Prof. Dr Christoph Redecker, Jennifer Leyendecker and Kristin Schneider, address this socially relevant topic in their joint article “Networked healthcare: the example of the Parkinson’s Network OWL+”.
The Parkinson’s Network OWL+ (PNOWL+) is a successful example of networked and sustainable healthcare in the OWL region. The network was founded in 2023 by Prof. Dr. Christoph Redecker and is the largest of its kind in Germany. Prof. Dr. Volker Lohweg and Dr. Christoph-Alexander Holst are among its members and have been involved since its inception. To improve care for people with Parkinson’s disease, regular network meetings are organised with the active involvement of the inIT Discrete Systems working group at CENTRUM INDUSTRIAL IT. These meetings provide a forum for the interdisciplinary exchange of the latest issues and findings from medicine, care and science.
Development of a Parkinson’s app
As part of the PNOWL+ project, the Discrete Systems working group, led by Prof. Dr. Volker Lohweg, has developed a smartphone app in collaboration with the University Clinic for Neurology and Neurogeriatrics, headed by Chief Physician Prof. Dr. Christoph Redecker, at the University Hospital of East Westphalia-Lippe, Lippe Hospital Campus. The app supports people living with Parkinson’s on the one hand, and facilitates interprofessional exchange among therapeutic and medical staff on the other. It thus embodies the concept of networked care.
Research for the people of the region
From the perspective of the researchers at inIT, health research should not be viewed in isolation, but should be guided by real-world problems. To this end, collaboration between various regional stakeholders is essential.
Dr. Christoph-Alexander Holst of the Discrete Systems research group, emphasises: “Particularly when it comes to app development, we gain beneficial practical insights from the regular network meetings. Through our research, we want to contribute to doing something good for the people of the region.”
Claudia Maria Hornberg (Hrsg.), Julius Freymüller (Hrsg.), Silja Ritzinger (Hrsg.), Rainer Fehr (Hrsg.)
Nachhaltige RegionalGesundheit Ostwestfalen-Lippe
Bestandsaufnahme und Handlungsperspektiven
516 pages, Softcover, ISBN 978-3-98726-533-4, available as E-Book