JULYAgeing population:The role of assistive technology?

Charles Sellers Vantage Point Technologies

CHALLENGES FROM THE SALON

• The NHS is faced with growing financial restraints, recent years have seen a marked increase in telecare and telehealth services, using technology to help individuals live more independently at home.

• Identifying what exactly needs to be provided

• Deciding on and locating who is best suited to the provision of assistive technology

• Understand how to encourage SME engagement

• Locating where assistive technology can have the best impact

• Risk aversion

CHALLENGES FROM THE SALON

• How can the use of assistive technology improve an elderly person’s life?

• What are the barriers to elderly people using digital technology?

• What are the barriers when procuring assistive technologies in the public sector?

• Are the NHS and other care providers equipped with the right digital skills?

• What steps should be taken to speed up its adoption?

CHALLENGES FROM THE SALON

• Development from a human perspective, rather than a strategic attempt to secure commissioning

• Locate where assistive technology can have the best impact for the most and least debilitated individuals – a mistake to treat both challenges with same solutions

• Encourage SME engagement with public sector – at present there is no incentive to look outside the private sector

CHALLENGES FROM THE SALON

• More discussion was needed – the salon had highlighted a lot of challenges, but few solutions

• Newcastle University Institute of Ageing hosted a workshop representing different sectors

• White paper produced and published in September 2014

• 7 key recommendations produced

KEY RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Ensure that standards of evidence required by the CCG are clearly provided and adequately signposted online.

2. Promote the adoption of new patient-centric technologies, as opposed to clinicians looking for reasons why care pathways should stay as they are.

3. The Academic Health Science Network ought to reach out beyond the NHS and academics to SMEs.

4. The NHS should corral and share themed data-sets, and make these available to SMEs online, so that they may explore open innovation opportunities

KEY RECOMMENDATIONS

5. The NHS must simplify its engagement and procurement processes if they are to be opened up to the wider SME community

6. The NHS should use the SBRI and similar channels to connect the challenges associated with assistive technology to the network of SMEs that have the potential to provide solutions.

7. It is crucial that the Department of Health and the NHS provides clearer strategic leadership and direction which seeks to achieve earlier and more open innovation channels in partnerships between NHS commissioners and SME developers.