The Sociotechnical Challenge of Integrating Telehealth and Telecare into Health and Social Care for the Elderly

Author(s):  
Ken Eason ◽  
Patrick Waterson ◽  
Priya Davda

Telehealth and telecare have been heralded as major mechanisms by which frail elderly people can continue to live at home but numerous pilot studies have not led to the adoption of these technologies as mainstream contributors to the health and social care of people in the community. This paper reviews why dissemination has proved difficult and concludes that one problem is that these technologies require considerable organisational changes if they are to be effective: successful implementation is not just a technical design issue but is a sociotechnical design challenge. The paper reviews the plans of 25 health communities in England to introduce integrated health and social care for the elderly. It concludes that these plans when implemented will produce organisational environments conducive to the mainstream deployment of telehealth and telecare. However, the plans focus on different kinds of integrated care and each makes different demands on telehealth and telecare. Progress on getting mainstream benefits from telehealth and telecare will therefore depend on building a number of different sociotechnical systems geared to different forms of integrated care and incorporating different forms of telehealth and telecare.

2015 ◽  
pp. 1177-1189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ken Eason ◽  
Patrick Waterson ◽  
Priya Davda

Telehealth and telecare have been heralded as major mechanisms by which frail elderly people can continue to live at home but numerous pilot studies have not led to the adoption of these technologies as mainstream contributors to the health and social care of people in the community. This paper reviews why dissemination has proved difficult and concludes that one problem is that these technologies require considerable organisational changes if they are to be effective: successful implementation is not just a technical design issue but is a sociotechnical design challenge. The paper reviews the plans of 25 health communities in England to introduce integrated health and social care for the elderly. It concludes that these plans when implemented will produce organisational environments conducive to the mainstream deployment of telehealth and telecare. However, the plans focus on different kinds of integrated care and each makes different demands on telehealth and telecare. Progress on getting mainstream benefits from telehealth and telecare will therefore depend on building a number of different sociotechnical systems geared to different forms of integrated care and incorporating different forms of telehealth and telecare.


Rev Rene ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
pp. e44395
Author(s):  
Giovana Peres Cardoso ◽  
Daniela Garcia Damaceno ◽  
Miriam Fernanda Sanches Alarcon ◽  
Maria José Sanches Marin

Objective: to understand the perception of health and law professionals regarding care for frail elderly people who live alone. Methods: qualitative research, carried out through interviews with health and law professionals, using a vignette as a trigger, presenting the description of the story of a frail elderly woman who lived alone. Data were submitted to the thematic analysis technique. Results: the 23 professionals pointed out that the family members should be the responsible ones for the elderly; that institutionalization should take place as the last option; stressed the importance of multi-professional and intersectoral work; and recognized the limitations of the state. The professionals reported the appropriate interventions for the case. Conclusion: in care for the elderly who live alone, there are limitations for families, social care, and health services for the elderly, as well as the State, with the need to strengthen legally guaranteed resources.


2020 ◽  
pp. 75-79
Author(s):  
O. Akimova ◽  
E. Andriyanova

The article highlights the problems of providing medical and social assistance to elderly people in the Russian Federation at the present stage. Factors that affect the specifics of receiving medical and social assistance are: the crisis of confidence in the modern system of values, problems of medical examination of the population, low quality of life for people older than working age.


2003 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Natasa V. Daniilidou ◽  
Charalabos Economou ◽  
Dimitrios Zavras ◽  
John Kyriopoulos ◽  
Eugenia Georgoussi

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 50-55
Author(s):  
S. S. Vazhaeva ◽  
N. F. Shilnikova

Population ageing is a natural process characterized by the increase in life expectancy and by a growth in the absolute number and proportion of elderly and senile persons in the population. These demographic changes increase the need for medical and social care among the people of this age group and require the development and implementation of new public policies.


2018 ◽  
Vol 159 (8) ◽  
pp. 312-319
Author(s):  
Anett Mária Tróbert ◽  
Zsuzsanna Széman

Abstract: According to statistical data, the number of healthy life years is not increasing in proportion with the longer average life expectancy. In the ageing societies, the long-term care systems are increasingly overburdened; cost-efficient operation and the related coordination of services is one of the key questions for their sustainability. The present separation of the health care and social care systems causes numerous difficulties. One aim of the online research by questionnaire was to survey the attitude of general practitioners – who play a very important part in care for the elderly – towards their elder patients, the patients’ family members, and social workers providing eldercare. The other aim was to gather information on shortcomings experienced by doctors in the care system and on what possibilities general practitioners see for the improvement of eldercare. Semi-structured questionnaires were applied and analysed by descriptive and content methodology. The questionnaires were sent out to 5060 addresses around the country: a total of 145 were returned filled in. The respondents made many recommendations for the improvement of eldercare in the categories of development of social services, family support, development of health services, and societal cooperation. The areas in need of development named by the general practitioners are closely interrelated: the reform of social care would support the health care system and vice versa. More effective operation of the health and social care systems would ease the burdens of families, and at the same time encourage more active participation of families in the care process. And the systematic education of society and communities is a long-term investment that would strengthen a positive attitude towards old age and a value-oriented view of the ageing process that is one of the basic conditions for successful social integration of the elderly. Orv Hetil. 2018; 159(8): 312–319.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (10) ◽  
pp. 504-505
Author(s):  
Priya Sharma

The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) has shown a 4% rise in the number of alleged cases of abuse against elderly people. Priya Sharma investigates your role in protecting them


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