Enhancing healthcare in home and community settings through telecare and telehealth

Abstract

This paper discusses the available and emerging technology for healthcare at home, the potential it has to transform healthcare as a whole, the slow pace of adoption and introduces a new regional research consortium that aims to build the pathways to ubiquitous adoption. There is a plethora of intelligent technologies already available and new technologies are emerging to better support care in home and community settings. These include home networks to provide reminders and ensure people are safe and have access to care and services. Technologies are much more sensitive to changes in our physiology and can alert us and carers so as to delay or avoid the progression of the many chronic diseases, many of which only show symptoms at advanced stages.