Evaluating automated goals for home care support

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 79-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia S Clark ◽  
Kenneth J. Turner
Keyword(s):  
Home Care ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Research Question ◽  
End Users ◽  
Informal Carer ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Care At Home ◽  
Care System ◽  
At Home

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to evaluate an approach to automating goals for supporting home care, with a view to understanding user experience when defining such goals and hence identifying improvements that could be made to the approach. Design/methodology/approach – The study was designed to answer the key research question of whether users can understand, formulate and relate to automated goals for home care. In order to do this, a fictional text-based scenario was used about a couple with care needs. This helped to explore the feasibility, acceptability and usability of goals to manage care at home. Face-to-face qualitative interviews were undertaken with ten participants with a background in social care: four social care professionals; one health care professional; one formal carer; one informal carer; and three end users. Findings – Overall, participants were positive about being able to control the MATCH (Mobilising Advanced Technologies for Care at Home) system through the use of goals. The results from the participant interviews will be used to help guide potential improvements to the home care system. The main issue that emerged from the study is that it would be valuable to think in terms of outcomes as a higher level than goals. A second consideration is that it would be desirable to adopt terminology that can be understood by all stakeholders. Research limitations/implications – The study has demonstrated that automated goals for home care have a useful role to play and can be successfully used by end users and carers. Although the range of participants in the study was limited, it has allowed confidence to be built in the approach and has identified useful pointers for future development. Practical implications – With the evaluation and validation of the goal-based approach, it has encouraged the developers to make automated goals more widely available in future deployment of the home care system. Social implications – The use of automated goals to support home care has been shown to be acceptable to end users and carers. This will allow future home care systems to offer more personal and better customised services to those receiving telecare. Originality/value – The study provides a unique evaluation of the use of automated goals to support home care. Previous use of goals in the literature has been for highly technical applications, so their application to home care is novel and speculative. The study has demonstrated that the approach is viable, useful, and usable by end users and carers.

scholarly journals Needs of patient with advanced stages of cancer in a Thai community

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 342-351
Author(s):  
Panita Krongyuth ◽  
Pimpan Silpasuwan ◽  
Chukiat Viwatwongkasem ◽  
Cathy Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Pain Management ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Open Communication ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Advanced Stages ◽  
Palliative Care Needs ◽  
At Home

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the needs of people with cancer in advanced stages and to analyze factors that influence them. Design/methodology/approach A concurrent mixed-method design was used. Descriptive design was conducted in Ubon Ratchathani Province, Thailand. Data were collected from a convenience sample of patients with advanced cancer of any tissue or organ. Questionnaires were completed by 110 patients aged 60 years and above (response rate 110/130=84.6 percent). In-depth interviews were conducted with a total of eight patients. Content analysis of semi-structured interviews of a sub-sample was subsequently performed to better understand the real needs of patients with advanced stages of cancer at home setting. Findings The majority (77.5 percent) reported a preference to spend their final days at home. The four most common palliative care needs were more information about disease and medical treatment (98.2 percent), more treatment for pain (97.3 percent), health education for family caregivers (95.5 percent) and health volunteers visit at home (95.5 percent). Content analysis of the qualitative data suggested that patient needs health care providers to deliver open communication, pain management and provide psychosocial supports. Originality/value The result showed that patients-related variables are associated with the palliative care needs in patients with advanced stages of cancer. Communication skills and pain management are the key components to support the need for palliative care at home and to benefit the quality of life in terminally ill patients.

scholarly journals Day services and home care for adults with learning disabilities across the UK

2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Hatton
Keyword(s):  
Learning Disabilities ◽  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Home Care ◽  
Service Use ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Adults With Learning Disabilities ◽  
Day Services ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Over Time

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to compare data from national social care statistics on day services and home care for people with learning disabilities across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Design/methodology/approach National social care statistics (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) reporting the number of adults with learning disabilities accessing day services and home care were reviewed, with data extracted on trends over time and rate of service use. Findings Regarding day services, despite some variations in definitions, the number of adults with learning disabilities in England, Scotland and Wales (but not Northern Ireland) using building-based day services decreased over time. Data from Scotland also indicate that adults with learning disabilities are spending less time in building-based day services, with alternative day opportunities not wholly compensating for the reduction in building-based day services. Regarding home care, there are broadly similar rates of usage across the four parts of the UK, with the number of adults with learning disabilities using home care now staying static or decreasing. Social implications Similar policy ambitions across the four parts of the UK have resulted (with the exception of Northern Ireland) in similar trends in access to day services and home care. Originality/value This paper is a first attempt to compare national social care statistics concerning day services and home care for adults with learning disabilities across the UK. With increasing divergence of health and social service systems, further comparative analyses of services for people with learning disabilities are needed.

Challenging times: building a health, housing and social care local workforce strategy

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 108-122
Author(s):  
Patricia Dearnaley ◽  
Joanne E. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Service Delivery ◽  
Older People ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Workforce Planning ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Fiscal Impact ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Health And Social Care

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to stimulate a wider debate around the coordination of workforce planning in non-statutory services (in this case, specialist housing for older people or those with long-term health and social care needs, such as learning disabilities). The authors argue that current NHS reforms do not go far enough in that they fail to include specialist housing and its workforce in integration, and by doing so, will be unable to optimise the potential efficiencies and streamlining of service delivery to this group. Design/methodology/approach The paper used exploratory study using existing research and data, enhanced by documentary analysis from industry bodies, regulators and policy think tanks. Findings That to achieve the greatest operational and fiscal impact upon the health care services, priority must be given to improving the efficiency and coordination of services to older people and those requiring nursing homes or registered care across the public and third sectors through the integration of service delivery and workforce planning. Research limitations/implications Whilst generalisable and achievable, the model proposed within the paper cannot be fully tested theoretically and requires further testing the in real health and social care market to evidence its practicality, improved quality of care and financial benefits. Originality/value The paper highlights some potential limitations to the current NHS reforms: by integrating non-statutory services, planned efficiency savings may be optimised and service delivery improved.

scholarly journals Connected care for endocarditis and heart failure patients: a hospital-at-home programme

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. van Ramshorst ◽  
M. Duffels ◽  
S. P. M de Boer ◽  
A. Bos-Schaap ◽  
O. Drexhage ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heart Failure ◽  
Home Care ◽  
Nurse Practitioners ◽  
Care Group ◽  
Proof Of Concept ◽  
Home Setting ◽  
Curative Care ◽  
Care At Home ◽  
Hospital At Home ◽  
At Home

Abstract Background Healthcare expenditure in the Netherlands is increasing at such a rate that currently 1 in 7 employees are working in healthcare/curative care. Future increases in healthcare spending will be restricted, given that 10% of the country’s gross domestic product is spent on healthcare and the fact that there is a workforce shortage. Dutch healthcare consists of a curative sector (mostly hospitals) and nursing care at home. The two entities have separate national budgets (€25 bn + €20 bn respectively) Aim In a proof of concept, we explored a new hospital-at-home model combining hospital cure and nursing home care budgets. This study tests the feasibility of (1) providing hospital care at home, (2) combining financial budgets, (3) increasing workforces by combining teams and (4) improving perspectives and increasing patient and staff satisfaction. Results We tested the feasibility of combining the budgets of a teaching hospital and home care group for cardiology. The budgets were sufficient to hire three nurse practitioners who were trained to work together with 12 home care cardiovascular nurses to provide care in a hospital-at-home setting, including intravenous treatment. Subsequently, the hospital-at-home programme for endocarditis and heart failure treatment was developed and a virtual ward was built within the e‑patient record. Conclusion The current model demonstrates a proof of concept for a hospital-at-home programme providing hospital-level curative care at home by merging hospital and home care nursing staff and budgets. From the clinical perspective, ambulatory intravenous antibiotic and diuretic treatment at home was effective in safely achieving a reduced length of stay of 847 days in endocarditis patients and 201 days in heart-failure-at-home patients. We call for further studies to facilitate combined home care and hospital cure budgets in cardiology to confirm this concept.

scholarly journals Towards an Accessible Use of a Brain-Computer Interfaces-Based Home Care System through a Smartphone

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Koun-Tem Sun ◽  
Kai-Lung Hsieh ◽  
Syuan-Rong Syu
Keyword(s):  
Home Care ◽  
Event Related Potentials ◽  
End Users ◽  
Disabled People ◽  
Eeg Signals ◽  
Computer Interfaces ◽  
Related Potentials ◽  
The One ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Care System

This study proposes a home care system (HCS) based on a brain-computer interface (BCI) with a smartphone. The HCS provides daily help to motor-disabled people when a caregiver is not present. The aim of the study is two-fold: (1) to develop a BCI-based home care system to help end-users control their household appliances, and (2) to assess whether the architecture of the HCS is easy for motor-disabled people to use. A motion-strip is used to evoke event-related potentials (ERPs) in the brain of the user, and the system immediately processes these potentials to decode the user’s intentions. The system, then, translates these intentions into application commands and sends them via Bluetooth to the user’s smartphone to make an emergency call or to execute the corresponding app to emit an infrared (IR) signal to control a household appliance. Fifteen healthy and seven motor-disabled subjects (including the one with ALS) participated in the experiment. The average online accuracy was 81.8% and 78.1%, respectively. Using component N2P3 to discriminate targets from nontargets can increase the efficiency of the system. Results showed that the system allows end-users to use smartphone apps as long as they are using their brain waves. More important, only one electrode O1 is required to measure EEG signals, giving the system good practical usability. The HCS can, thus, improve the autonomy and self-reliance of its end-users.

scholarly journals Commentary on “depression and people with a learning disability: a way forward”

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-25
Author(s):  
Peter McGill
Keyword(s):  
Learning Disability ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Care Provision ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a commentary on Andrew Jahoda’s article “Depression and people with a learning disability: a way forward”. Design/methodology/approach The paper considers depression and other issues of psychological well-being from the perspective of the eligibility criteria for social care in England as enshrined in the 2014 Care Act. Findings There is a danger of issues of psychological well-being being seen as health rather than social care needs. A more integrated perspective is required. Originality/value The paper illustrates the importance of the role of social care provision in promoting the well-being of people with learning disabilities.

scholarly journals P1546UK ANNUAL THERAPY COST OF DIALYSIS WITH THE QUANTA SC+ PERSONAL HAEMODIALYSIS SYSTEM

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (Supplement_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Ferguson ◽  
Paul Komenda ◽  
Gerard Harper ◽  
John Milad
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Health Care System ◽  
Self Care ◽  
Emergency Department Visits ◽  
Weekend Effect ◽  
Care At Home ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Care System ◽  
At Home

Abstract Background and Aims The number of patients receiving dialysis is increasing in the United Kingdom, costing the National Health Service (NHS) over 500 million GBP annually. New personal haemodialysis systems are being developed, such as the Quanta SC+, that are smaller and simpler to use by patients while providing the clearances of conventional systems. Increasing uptake of lower intensity assistance and full self-care dialysis may provide economic benefits to the public health payer. In addition, promotion of every other day dialysis (3.5x weekly) may improve costs to the health system by helping to close the “post-weekend effect” with increased emergency department use and hospitalisations following the long interdialytic gap. As such, we aimed to describe the annual therapy costs of using SC+ in the UK for 3x weekly and 3.5x weekly dialysis regimens, both for self-care haemodialysis provided in-centre and at home in comparison to dialysis provided with conventional machines from the perspective of the health care system. Method Cost minimisation approach. Costs for human resources, equipment, and consumables were sourced from the dialysis machine developer (Quanta Dialysis Technologies). Other costs, such as facility expenses, dialysis-related drugs, avoided emergency department and hospitalisation events, and utilities were taken from a review of the literature. Costs are provided in 2018 GBP. Results Therapy provided as self-care in-centre or full self-care at home were found to have similar costs (£33,721 in-centre versus £33,836 at home for the 3x weekly regimen). Costs increased to £37,238 for self-care in-centre and £35,557 at home for the 3.5x weekly regimen. A comparator cost of £39,416 was established for dialysis provided with conventional machines in-hospital 3x weekly. For each dialysis patient, the health care system is anticipated to save £3,666 in costs associated with excess hospital stays and £2,176 in costs associated with excess emergency department visits. Conclusion In the UK, SC+ offers cost savings when used both for self-care in-centre and full self-care at home in comparison to dialysis provided in the clinic using conventional machines.

Creating public value in the care at home sector: a mixed-method study about expectations of primary stakeholders using a social exchange perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (7) ◽  
pp. 807-828
Author(s):  
Sascha Kraus-Hoogeveen ◽  
Pascale Peters ◽  
Els Van der Pool ◽  
Beatrice Van der Heijden
Keyword(s):  
Social Exchange ◽  
Value Creation ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Empirical Work ◽  
Mixed Method Study ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Public Value ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Care At Home ◽  
At Home

PurposeThis mixed-method study aims to contribute to the scholarly debate by outlining an individual-level theoretical framework for public value creation and evaluation that builds upon a social exchange perspective. It provides insights into the normative frames of primary stakeholders in the Dutch care at home sector, that is professionals, managers, clients and informal care providers.Design/methodology/approachA mixed-method design comprising a customized survey among 349 stakeholders, preceded by 31 in-depth interviews was used.FindingsThis empirical work shows differences and similarities in the stakeholders' normative frames revealed via three dimensions of expectations regarding the process of care delivery: personal contact, impact of rules and procedures and communication.Social implicationsThese differences in interpretation have implications for the measurement and evaluation of public value creation.Originality/valueBy statistically and methodologically exploring the different expectations' scales that are developed, we intend to work toward a measure for public value creation, which can be used in future empirical work.

scholarly journals Strategies for caring for the peaceful death of cancer patients at home in Japan – A meta-synthesis of the literature

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 23
Author(s):  
Rieko Kondo ◽  
Makiko Kondo
Keyword(s):  
Home Care ◽  
Medical Staff ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Research Subjects ◽  
Patients With Cancer ◽  
Dying Patients ◽  
Five Factors ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Dying Patient ◽  
At Home

This study aimed to identify strategies that enable the provision of high quality home care for dying patients with cancer. We searched the NPO Japan Medical Abstracts Society database through Ichushi-Web and selected literature that focused on home care for dying patients with cancer of Japanese origin. In particular, we chose research papers published between 2005 and 2015 that used the qualitative research methodology. The research subjects comprised patients (excluding children), family members of patients, and medical staff who were primary caregivers. We identified the following four research questions by reviewing 13 articles: “A. What enables patients to live at home until they die?”, “B. What difficulties does a dying patient encounter while living at home until death?”, “C. What represents effective support for patients living at home until they die?”, and “D. What represents ineffective support for patients who live at home until they die?”. All results were grouped depending on their relevance to these research questions. We identified 4 categories each pertaining to Research Question A (RQ-A) and RQ-D, and 3 each pertaining to RQ-B and RQ-C. We identified the following five factors that can promote the peaceful death of patients with cancer at home: 1) strong family bonds; 2) caring for the dying patient by the family, according to a framework provided by the medical staff; 3) a guaranteed unconstrained daily life; 4) support for the family’s range of emotions; and 5) systematic support from visiting medical staff and the hospital.

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