Search results

Following the significant involvement of Scottish local authorities in the trialling and development of telecare services, there is now considerable activity across the entire country. This is the result of clear policy drivers and the introduction of a capital grant which required individual authorities to develop partnerships with a view to achieving clear outcome benefits involving significant efficiency savings in hospital bed use and admissions to residential care. In the future, an emphasis on improved training and communications may further advance the integration of services.

The launch of the £80m Preventative Technology Grant in 2006 has resulted in a considerable interest in telecare. Yet where in this emerging area should efforts be concentrated, and what lessons can be learnt from previous trials to aid future deployments? Based on practical experience and the work of the Housing & Telecare Learning & Improvement Networks at the Care Service Improvement Partnership (CSIP), Department of Health, this paper presents some of the common issues experienced and identified when implementing telecare. It makes a number of useful suggestions on how organisations working across housing, health and social care can make best use of telecare when planning, commissioning and delivering services.

Telecare services in Herefordshire have taken off at a considerable pace since the provision of the Preventative Technology Grant. Over 600 people have received a service, the majority of them having a Lifeline and a number of sensors linked to a remote alarm monitoring centre. The service has proved popular with service users and their carers who report significant reductions in anxiety and levels of concern across a number of areas. The service has also reduced the need for homecare, residential and nursing home placements. Annual savings of nearly £0.5 million have been achieved with the greatest contribution from the use of technology to improve medication self‐management without needing check calls. The service is being mainstreamed and expanded through team expansion and improved training.

Rapid advancement of telecommunications and information technology has created the potential for high-quality expert healthcare to be delivered when and where it is needed. This text charts the development of the telemedicine industry, defines its current scope and reveals the potential of new methodologies. * Explains the main features of telemedicine and telecare * Reviews the technology needed for telemedicine * Describes how to develop, deliver and evaluate telemedicine services * Considers the associated ethical and legal issues * Includes an in-depth survey of the literature with over 300 references to research articles and hyperlinks to associated websites This text provides a good working knowledge of the subject matter. It will be indispensable for all students on courses related to medicine and health care management. It also addresses the strategic, technical and operational issues faced by clinicians and health care managers considering the introduction of telemedicine services offering solutions for a variety of situations

This report aims to assist in the discussion on enabling an uptake of telecare in Australia. Telecare has been acknowledged worldwide as an innovative solution to the inter-related trends of: an ageing population; rising rates of chronic illness and disability; and shortfalls in health system capacity and budgets. However, the benefits achieved internationally to date have been limited. In Australia, both Government and Non-Government stakeholders have worked towards supporting an uptake of telecare. Yet, there has been a lack of overarching coordination across the sector, which has stymied progress. This report takes a mixed method approach comprising of: a literature review on telecare in the Australian context and informal and formal interviews with Government and non-Government stakeholders. This report is divided into three Chapters. Chapter 1 outlines the Federal level telecare funding mechanisms and initiatives. It then explores the dramatic transition that is taking place under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and the Consumer Directed Care (CDC) aged care packages and assesses the impact of this on the uptake of telecare. Chapter 2 outlines State Government telecare initiatives, which are the primary direct progress towards an uptake of telecare in Australia. It then explores why these initiatives have not translated into a national uptake. Chapter 3 outlines the complex network of non-government stakeholders supporting the uptake of telecare in Australia. Each of these chapters provides an understanding of the numerous factors, which have facilitated and hindered the uptake of telecare. This provides a basis for understanding how best to enable an uptake of telecare in Australia. The following recommendations are based on the findings of this report. 1. It is a priority for all stakeholders to work towards developing models for overarching coordination across the telecare sector. 2. Service providers should make the best use of telecare to effectively adapt to the changes taking place under the national model for care provision. 3. Educating consumers on how to incorporate telecare into their NDIS and the CDC packages is a high priority. 4. Researchers should take a more entrepreneurial approach as they engage telecare providers and other stakeholders to drive innovation in the sector.

The main aim of the evaluation was to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the service in order to contribute to its further development and sustainability. The study was carried out in partnership between Lincolnshire Adult Social Care and Lincolnshire Primary Care Trust. A secondary aim was to determine the impact of the service on the quality of life and independence of service users using appropriate scales. These measurements were performed in parallel with an audit of the performance and cost effectiveness of the service. Service users, carers and staff all contributed to the evaluation. Initial results have indicated a positive response to the equipment, with a reduction in anxiety and increased independence for both the service user and carer.