Consumer technology & the opportunity for better quality home care at a lower cost

Caring for the growing aging population now and into the future presents a daunting challenge for most families in the United States.

People are living longer and want in-home care options that will simplify their access to healthcare and cut down on costs while helping them maintain an independent lifestyle. According to a US Census Bureau report, by 2050 America’s 65-and-over population is projected to nearly double. However there is hope. A range of new technologies are changing the way people understand, access, and utilize healthcare services, and home care is no exception.

Our experience has shown that home care patients respond best when services and technology are combined to provide both social and healthcare support. There is also an increasing focus on adopting consumer grade products to support care in the home because of the ease of use and relatively low cost.

While physical solutions like walkers, wheelchairs, and safety rugs have historically played an important role for home care patients, the rapid pace of change in technology solutions is transforming our ability to better support people in their homes rather than in more expensive and inconvenient points of care. Take for example consumer platforms developed by Microsoft, Amazon and Google which provide in-home or mobile/wearable solutions that address the social and healthcare needs of patients. In pilots run with the Amazon Echo in the UK and the US, the hypothesis was that a solution to drive improved medical adherence, e.g. programming “Alexa” to issue medication reminders, would contribute to reducing readmissions to hospitals. The pilots highlighted the larger opportunity to improve communication between the patient and the caregiver, and importantly, to improve the patient’s ability to operate independently in their home.

Platforms which do not directly impact a course of treatment but instead increase an individual’s sense of well-being, e.g. the ability to control the lighting and temperature, check the weather, listen to music or turn on the TV via a voice activated device, provide the opportunity for patients to maintain their independent lives. Examples of solutions and services of this sort include –

  • AskMarvee, an online portal accessed through Amazon’s Echo device allows seniors to connect with family members instantly for a check-in or for a serious health-related emergency,
  • Argenti, a multi-award winning UK public private partnership that is radically rethinking the role that consumer grade technology plays in both the mainstream social care industry and within the wider care system. Serving over 10,000 people, they are deploying devices to help their users increase their independence to thrive at home including, portable pulse oximeters, motion activated night lights and Dayclocks – clocks with easy to read time and dates for people with dementia. Providing both publically and privately funded services, they are also utilizing Amazon’s latest Alexa-enabled device (a first in the UK social care market) and Breezie tablets (pre-installed with software and simple for the elderly to use), and
  • LifePod, which uses voice-assisted technology that allows users to engage with a device similar to Alexa. In addition to responding to voice commands, the LifePod can also be programmed to check in with patients with audible prompts and reminders.

Healthcare organizations are also adopting these sorts of technologies to provide a better quality of care at a better cost. For example, in Massachusetts, Commonwealth Care Alliance® (CCA), a not-for-profit, community-based healthcare organization, is piloting voice activated solutions in the home. CCA views voice-enabled technology as a way to improve care for members of the Dual-Eligible health plans it offers. The pilot yielded overwhelmingly positive feedback from both members and providers on the use of “voice-first” technology. “Voice-first devices can be customized to fulfill a member’s specific healthcare needs, increasing an individual’s ability to follow treatment plans that can improve their health and quality of life,” said John Loughnane, MD, Chief of Innovation at CCA. “From reminders regarding diet plans to making doctor’s appointments, playing music, or connecting devices such as lights, thermostats, and door locks, CCA members have used voice-first devices to improve their healthcare and living experiences.” Using information from this pilot, CCA plans to introduce voice-enabled technology to more members across Massachusetts in partnership with local primary care providers and hospital systems.

In New York, the Visiting Nurse Service of New York (VNSNY) is using technology innovation to deliver improved home-based care to patients including remote monitoring of heart rates, blood glucose levels and weight. Additionally, they have created a web-based virtual rehabilitation application that uses motion-sensor cameras to guide joint replacements patients through their in-home exercises in-between sessions with their therapists.

The use of consumer grade technology alongside medical grade technology is re-shaping the way patients are supported in the home remotely because –

it comes at a lower price point than technology developed for medical purposes,
the user interface is often simpler, more familiar and more intuitive allowing patients to get support in a way they couldn’t previously,
there is less stigma associated with it than a dedicated medical device or solution and, importantly,
it provides easier access to things that make the elderly feel happier, creating a safer environment where they are less lonely and more supported.

The home healthcare market is expected to balloon in value from $100 billion in 2016 to $225 billion by 2024, offering significant growth potential for tech start-ups and innovative healthcare companies to bring new digital tools and devices quickly to market that do not need the long regulatory approval in the way a medical device does. We are already seeing the positive impact of adopting consumer grade technology to impact health and social care outcomes. The opportunity is there for the healthcare industry to do much more over the next several years and in so doing directly address the ballooning costs of healthcare while both improving quality and access to care.

Chris Steel is the Global Healthcare Lead at PA Consulting Group. He advises healthcare leaders on how to invest in technology in order to drive innovation, create value, deliver efficiencies and mitigate risk. He speaks regularly at conferences and seminars on issues related to Healthcare Information Technology and has been published widely on topics such as the role and potential of wearables in the clinical setting, driving innovation in healthcare, harnessing the power of effective analytics to help reduce cost and improve outcomes and putting the patient at the center of healthcare. https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissteel

The views, opinions and positions expressed within these guest posts are those of the author alone and do not represent those of Becker's Hospital Review/Becker's Healthcare. The accuracy, completeness and validity of any statements made within this article are not guaranteed. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions or representations. The copyright of this content belongs to the author and any liability with regards to infringement of intellectual property rights remains with them.

Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.

 

Featured Whitepapers

Featured Webinars