Integrating telecare systems for chronic disease management in the community: What needs to be done Carl May Institute of Health and Society Newcastle.

Integrating telecare systems for chronic disease management in the community: What needs to be done

Carl May

Institute of Health and SocietyNewcastle University

Inter-disciplinary consortium Newcastle: Carl May, James Cornford, Cath Exley,

Tracy Finch, Neil Jenkings, Louise Robinson, Rob Wilson

Manchester: Anne Rogers, Claire Gately, Sue Kirk Glasgow: Frances Mair, George Anderson, Janice

Osbourne Amsterdam: Dick Willems Michigan State: Pamela Whitten

Policy problem

Longstanding programme of research – consistently revealed that failure to attend to problems of workability and integration retards successful implementation of telehealthcare systems

Medical model of research has lead to narrow view of success and failure – focusing on measurable outcomes, not implementation processes

Practice Problem

Medical model of implementation (telecare as a treatment technology) has meant that perspectives of technology developers have often been undervalued

Institutional model of implementation (telecare as a service intervention) has meant that users’ views have often been sought after service introduction

Key questions

How do different constituencies understand integration of telecare within and across sectors?

What principles should drive interactions between health agencies, social care, private sector and users?

How can expertise and experience be shared and valued?

Core technologies and their domains

Monitoring devices – user operated, ICT based, connected (hardware)

Diabetes, asthma, COPD (defining clinical problems)

Link with NHS services and private sector call centres (infrastructure)

Method

Group-work and interviews to build sets of principles Service users Primary care professionals Private sector services and suppliers Social care professionals

Principles?

Why are there problems in integrating telecare systems with other services?

What do constituencies need to understand about each other?

How can mechanisms be developed to enable different constituencies to hear each other?

Policy relevance

Much is already known – no need for masses of new data

Move beyond local demonstration projects and ‘white paper demonstrator’ services requires users’ knowledge about everyday integration processes

Need to find ways to engage and co-ordinate users’ knowledge and practice

Thank you