Care technology is a popular term that is increasingly used by care workers, politicians, journalists and others. But do you know what care technology means and what the term actually entails? Here you will find answers to your questions about care technology.
Care technology is a broad term that refers to the use of technological products and solutions that improve the quality of healthcare services. It's about using modern technology to help people live a safer, more dignified and more independent life, which also involves strengthening the individual's ability to manage themselves in everyday life. By adopting technology in the healthcare service, we get efficient and safe services that take care of the citizens' needs.
Care technology is not a substitute for physical care and care workers, but an important and necessary supplement to ensure the best possible quality care. With the right systems and regulations in place, this form of technology has the potential to improve the lives of millions of people and change the way healthcare operates.
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The healthcare service in the UK is facing major demographic challenges in the time to come, with a sharp increase in the number of elderly people and people with dementia and a shortage of qualified health personnel. The introduction and implementation of care technology and new digital working methods can be decisive in being able to solve the staffing crisis in healthcare through a digital transformation. Technological advances in health and care have the potential to revolutionize how services are delivered and experienced – for the good of society, healthcare workers, residents, patients and relatives.
Care technology is a broad term that encompasses many different technologies. The common denominator is that they are all technological products and solutions that improve the quality of care services. Care technology can roughly be divided into four categories:
- Safety and security technology.
- Compensation and wellness technology.
- Technology for social contact.
- Technology for treatment and care.
Examples of care technology include safety alarms, GPS tracking, digital supervision, digital home monitoring, medication assistance, e-health platforms, smart home technology, robots and various types of sensors such as fall sensors and safety sensors.
It is well documented and proven that adopting care technology offers a number of advantages. The technology helps to solve many of the challenges associated with an aging population, more people with dementia and an increased need for healthcare services, while at the same time improving the quality of life for users of the services and relieving the burden on relatives and healthcare workers.
Among the most important benefits of care technology, we find increased independence and better safety for patients and residents, opportunities for individually tailored services and solutions, better health monitoring, better opportunities to stay at home for longer, better relief for relatives, cost savings for society and not least more efficient and resource-saving care services that place less strain on employees in the healthcare services.
With the demographic challenges facing the UK in the future, as well as the lack of qualified health personnel, it is obvious that care technology is very important now and in the future.
Care technology improves the quality of life of the elderly by increasing their independence and safety through, among other things, health monitoring, as well as by reducing loneliness and offering physical and mental stimulation – both for those in care homes and for those living at home. The technology also helps to extend the time the elderly can stay at home, including through the use of safety alarms, fall sensors, GPS tracking and smart medication. At the same time, this reduces the burden on relatives and ensures better communication with healthcare personnel, which overall creates a better and more meaningful everyday life for the elderly.
GPS tracking for people with dementia is a technology used to locate and monitor the movements of people who have memory challenges and who may have difficulty orienting themselves in their surroundings. GPS tracking can help to increase safety by giving healthcare workers, relatives or other carers the opportunity to find the person quickly.
The person with dementia wears a GPS device, such as a watch, necklace or bracelet. The device sends location data to an associated app or web platform, which is available to healthcare workers, relatives and/or other carers. These can see where the person wearing the GPS device is located on a map.
Most GPS tracking systems have a function where you can set up predefined areas within which the person can move. If he or she moves outside this area, healthcare workers, relatives and/or other carers are notified via a text message, phone call or notification in the app. Many GPS devices also have an emergency button that the user can press to send an alert to health workers, relatives and/or other carers if they feel unsafe or need help.
Some seniors may experience challenges in using care technology, especially if you are not used to using technology in your everyday life. Fortunately, most solutions in use today are designed to be simple, intuitive and adapted to the needs of the elderly. Through user-friendly design, adaptation to individual needs, training and support from relatives and healthcare professionals, most seniors can adapt to the technology and take advantage of the benefits it provides. For many, the biggest barrier will be the fear of new technology, but with the right guidance and training, this can be overcome.
When we talk about sustainability and care technology, we usually refer to the ability to meet the needs of the present without destroying the ability of future generations to meet theirs. Here are some of the sustainable aspects of care technology:
- Resource utilization
Care technology can reduce the need for physical infrastructure and manual effort. This means that the healthcare service can use its resources more efficiently, which in turn leads to reduced operating costs and less negative environmental impact.
- Availability and scalability
By making healthcare services more accessible through technological solutions, you can potentially reach more people with fewer resources.
- Reduced need for transport
Telemedicine and other forms of digital health monitoring can reduce the need for physical transportation to medical facilities, reducing society's overall carbon footprint.
- Data-driven decision making
Accurate and up-to-date data collection enables healthcare professionals to make more informed decisions, which can lead to more effective and targeted treatment plans.
- Focus on prevention
By emphasizing prevention rather than cure, care technology has a positive long-term effect by reducing the burden on healthcare services.
- Social and economic sustainability
By improving the quality of healthcare services and making them more accessible, care technology contributes to a fairer and more inclusive approach to health. This can be considered a form of social sustainability, which in turn can have positive economic benefits.
Care technology has enormous potential to contribute to a more sustainable health and care sector. However, this requires a holistic and well-considered approach to ensure that the sustainability goals are met in an ethical and efficient manner.
Care technology can provide many benefits for the elderly and people in need of healthcare services, but it also raises important questions related to privacy and data security. It mainly concerns the handling of sensitive personal data, securing data transfers and the risk of hacking and cyberattacks.
It goes without saying that technology that collects data and stores and shares health-related information must be handled with great care to ensure users' rights and privacy. To ensure that the technology is used in a safe and sound manner, necessary measures such as encryption, access control and relevant training for users and healthcare workers must be in place. In addition, there must be solid and safe routines for consent registration and handling. This helps to protect both the privacy and safety of those who use care technology.
It is always difficult to predict the future, but there is no doubt that care technology is an important part of the solution to the challenges in the healthcare sector. Future care technology will probably be characterized by advanced technology such as artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), robotics and biotechnology.
Among the most likely trends and developments we can expect in future care technology, we find the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) – including personalization, automated healthcare and improved diagnosis and prediction. Within IoT and smart homes, smart sensors and connected health devices will be important, and eventually we will probably see more use of robotics such as care robots.
The care technology of the future will probably also involve increased use of advanced wearable devices and biosensors that provide real-time health monitoring, and we must assume that there will be more use of telemedicine and remote monitoring and remote care using, among other things, virtual care services. It is also likely that the use of voice-controlled assistants will become increasingly common in care technology, as well as social robots that can conduct conversations and understand the user's needs.
With the increasing use of personal data in health monitoring to ensure personally tailored solutions, future care technology must have an even greater focus on privacy and security.
Through the answers to these 10 questions, we hope that you have learned a little more about what care technology means and what the term really entails. If you want more information, we encourage you to click on the links in the article for even more useful facts about care technology.
You can also contact us at Sensio if you work with health in a local authority and want free advice on how your local authority can implement care technology solutions.
Sources:
The Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities
ChatGPT