title: Future systems for remote health care.
abstract: As the number of elderly people in society increases, the use of technology to support the care system is being examined. However, there is no agreed model of a technology-based health-care system that fully integrates the technical and social aspects to meet the needs of both clients and care providers. This paper examines a possible model from the perspective of both the client and the service provider, and estimates the costs, and hence the potential savings, associated with the introduction of a health-care system based on this model. Cost data are presented in the context of an installation as might be anticipated within a city such as Birmingham, UK. Installation costs of an advanced telecare system would be higher than the set-up costs of conventional systems. Expected savings in control centre costs and emergency services costs would be small. However, a reduction in the average annual length of hospital stay by one day and a reduction in the proportion of elderly people being treated in hospital from 32.4% to 32.0%, directly as a result of the use of advanced telecare, would produce significant savings. A financing scheme with a 5-year or 10-year repayment period would then be financially viable for a 10,000-home advanced telecare system.
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering, University of Abertay, Dundee, UK.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Brownsell
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Bradley
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bragg
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Catlin
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carlier
mesh_terms: D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000639:trends*; D005544:Forecasting; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D018803:Models, Economic; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000379:methods*; D006113:United Kingdom