New Telecare Technology Launched as Social Inclusion Rises

Real-time broadband teleconferencing system set to revolutionise healthcare landscape

mediagrids, specialists in broadband videoconferencing for the care industry, has today announced the launch of its next generation telecare solution; broadcare (www.broadcare.co.uk). The ground-breaking system will advance the telecare industry beyond panic buttons and voice-only call centres to enable hospitals and care centres to provide intelligent and discreet monitoring of individuals in their own environments.

Not only does this new approach allow patients to return home, but it also enables hospitals to free up valuable bed spaces. broadcare will complement today’s telephone only solutions by providing a permission-based, interactive audio-visual experience, between care centres and client’s homes using standard broadband internet connections. The system is positioned to provide enormous savings in healthcare spending, whilst at the same time improving levels of remote care for a number of groups including children, the elderly, psychiatric patients and those suffering with diabetes or dementia.

“The modern social and economic climate is driving dramatic changes in telecare,” said Chris Williams, CEO of mediagrids. “A number of issues such as the ageing population, spiralling costs in the NHS, availability of beds & care facilities and the significantly increasing importance of independent living for patients coping with a long term illness has advanced the telecare industry into a new era. Two thirds of all beds in the NHS are occupied by the elderly, yet 90% of these individuals would prefer to be at home. The good news is that half these people could return home much sooner if the appropriate levels of telecare support were in place.

”The home health hubs, when used with a camera and biometric devices; such as blood pressure and heart monitors; convert a standard television set or computer into a high quality videoconferencing and biometric workstation. Using this next generation of telecare systems, call centres can also become more proactive by scheduling regular calls into clients working with the advantage of live, visual contact which makes carers better placed to call for emergency assistance immediately if required. Statistics show that 40% of all accidents involving the elderly are falls which, in some cases, can go undetected for days.

Williams claims that broadcare will change the landscape of the healthcare industry, and the way in which care centres and hospitals liaise with patients will soon be re-written. The broadcare system is expected to have a substantial impact on how:

• clients with dementia are effectively monitored in their own homes
• the relatives of elder clients learn about falls and other such accidents that often lead to the elderly being taken into care. Intelligent cameras can also assist in the identification of falls.
• disabled clients are monitored by carers - fundamentally at the touch of a button
• recuperating clients can be allowed to return home, yet continue to be monitored remotely to ensure they are managing in their own environment
• social inclusion is inherent in the design of broadcare. Broadband is always on and charged at a fixed rate so clients can benefit from videoconferencing carers, friends and family 24 hours a day* clients can expect to stay at home longer before going into care
• care for the carers can be improved – the workload can be shared across care groups
• children in hospital interact with their parents and siblings via a permanent link for support

Source: Response Source