Welfare technology and innovation in health care Flashcards
Define welfare technology
The technology we use to improve the services provided by the welfare society and make them more efficient.
Technological solutions that help to preserve or develop welfare services.
Give some examples on how welfare technology is used in the health care sector
Assistent technology in the home
- Bidet toilet with integrated washing, blow drying and possibly a lift seat for help with sitting and standing.
- Chronic care system – equipment that helps people live at home with a chronic illness.
- Rehabilitation and physical therapy in the home with a games console.
- Smart home with environment control and automation solutions.
- Medicine reminder/dispenser with alarm and possibly notification of nurse.
- Robot vacuum cleaner that automatically vacuums room when convenient.
Assistent technology for the employee
- Care system – mobile employee terminal with care file, drug list, log and instructions.
- Personal emergency alarm with GPS locator for people with dementia who can wander off.
- Key system with digital key on mobile phone for home nursing.
What do we hope to gain by the use of welfare technology?
Enabling people to do things themselves that they would have previously needed help with.
Increasing productivity without reducing quality (Using human resources more efficiently)
Manual, menial or heavy work being done by technical solutions instead of staff.
Helping to prevent and reduce the effects of chronic diseases and age-related complaints.
The aim should be for welfare technology solutions to support people’s ability to live the life they want and take as much responsibility for doing so as possible
What are potential barriers to the use of welfare technology?
Ethical questions
- Important to consult the user groups affected when introducing new solutions.
- Not introduce solutions that restrict people’s functional options and responsibility instead of extending them.
- If the technological solutions isolate them from contact with the people they need
What is innovation?
Innovation is the process of making changes to something established by introducing something new that adds value to the customer/consumer
Describe service innovation
Making changes to things that can not be touched or seen (intangible product)
A key attribute of a service is a very high level of interaction with the end consumer or customer.
Describe product and process innovation
Product innovation
- Innovation of a new product, technology, or idea that generates a beneficial improvement in society and the economy; one that is fundamentally different from existing products, technologies, or ideas.
Process innovation
- An innovation that is an improvement in an existing product, technology, or idea or an improvement in the way a product, technology, or idea is produced.
How is innovation connected to welfare technology?
Welfare technology creates innovation through cooperation between private companies and the puclic health sector
Welfare technology is a combination of Service, product and process innovation
