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PROJECT NO : 217787

CORDIS SiS: http://cordis.europa.eu/
fp7/sis/

Europa SiS:
http://ec.europa.eu/
research /science-society/

The views expressed in this website are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Commission.

Telecare: Dialogue and Debate – The emergence of new technologies and responsibilities for healthcare at home in Europe

20 - 21 September 2007

New and emerging ‘care technologies’ are the visible, material signs of attempts to solve a range of health related problems in Western economies. In particular, given the current and projected growth of those in the older age groups and policies aimed at ‘aging in place’, telecare technologies are being promoted to support the care needs (or perceived needs) of frail older people within the domestic environment. A spectrum of care technologies from responsive to preventive based on information and communication technology (ICT) exists or is being developed to provide ‘care at a distance’.

The conference objective was to open up dialogue between social scientists and non-academic actors involved in the design, development, implementation and daily use of telecare technologies across Europe. Participation consisted of an audience and speakers drawn from clinicians, designers of new care technologies, older people and carers, as well as health policy makers operating at national and European levels.

Our aim was to identify ways in which knowledge can be exchanged and developed across and within different groups for whom these issues are of interest. We also identified issues within this field of interest which have had, to date, received only limited attention. It was also an opportunity to foster new collaborations for developing research and effective policy-making.

The conference addressed four themes of importance to care policy and implementation:

• Who benefits from the development of new care technologies?
• How are new care technologies shaping home and work?
• Material, social and affective design issues in telecare
• How do new care technologies modify care interactions?

Policy Document

MEDUSE Policy Paper: the Emergence of New Technologies and Responsibilities for Health Care at Home in Europe November 2006

Presentations

Welcome and Introduction

• Telecare: Dialogue and Debate - The emergence of new technologies and responsibilities for ‘healthcare at home’ in Europe Maggie Mort (Lancaster University UK)

Theme 1: Who Benefits from the development of new care technologies?

• The use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to support independent living for older, frail and disabled people Nigel Barnes (British Telecom)
• Liverpool Telecare Pilot from a Clinicians Point of View Barbara Frost (Occupational Therapist, Merseycare NHS Trust, UK)

Theme 2: How are new care technologies shaping home and work?

• Home, as in: 'home care technology' Dick Willems (Academic Medical Centre, Univ of Amsterdam)
• Are new technologies shaping home and/or work? Jan Thie (Vilans Knowledge Centre for Social Care & Focus Cura Care Technology Centre, Utrecht)

Theme 3: Material, Social and affective design issues

• Mediating Loving Care and Vital Signs: the Sociality of Care Technologies Ingunn Moser (Centre for technology, Culture & Innovation, Oslo University) & Jeannette Pols ( AMC Univ of Amsterdam)
• The design of technology and environments to support enjoyable activity for people with dementia Judith Torrington (Architect, INDEPENDENT Project, UK)

Theme 4: How new care technologies modify care interactions?

• Ethnographic Research in the Catalan Red Cross Telecare Service: A chance to rethink user-centred telecare services between social scientists and care deliverers. Daniel Lopez & Miguel Domenech (Dept of Social Psychology, Autonomous University of Barcelona)
• Spanish Red Cross and the development and implementation of Telecare projects focused on dependent people necessities Marti Martinez (Home Telecare Service, Barcelona)
• Spanish Red Cross and the development and implementation of Telecare projects focused on dependent people necessities Julián Andújar (TECSOS Foundation)