The UK’s Telecare Services Association (TSA) has today announced that it will be working with the Continua Alliance (CA) to develop a ‘Telecare over IP Use Case’. Press release (PDF)
Translation for the rest of us… ‘a scenario involving a typical user of telecare over an internet connection with the purpose of helping manufacturing and software companies match their product designs to meet the user’s requirements’. Let’s hope the US-dominated CA and the TSA sort out a joint definition of ‘telecare’ before they start – the press release already refers to “personal connected healthcare solutions”. Ah… but Tunstall will no doubt be on the working party as both a TSA and a CA member, so that will be all right then.
Telecare v. Healthcare solutions
This will probably result in the demise of the term ‘Telecare’ as all the so called big boys see more profit coming from the likes of the NHS (in the UK).
Am i just being naive, but i thought this industry was about supporting people not making more bucks!!
Telecare v. Telecare
Actually, Mike, the head-to-head on the use case may well result in the demise of the word ‘telecare’ as used in the UK.
From my constant exposure to the use of the term as I sift through the news sources for Telecare Aware items I can say that the UK is out on a limb with its use of ‘telecare’ as far as the rest of the world is concerned.
In North America it is used in at least five ways, none of which equate to the UK usage:
1) Approximating to what we think of as NHS Direct-type functions (‘telecoaching’ as BS refers to it) of health information giving
2) ‘we-phone-you-to-see-if-you-are-alright’ type services, often run by local volunteers
3) ‘phone-us-if-you-are-feeling-suicidal’ type services, like the Samaritans in the UK
4) phone, online and, increasingly, physical mental health services from the Telecare organisation
5) as a general term for the activities around telemedicine and other healthcare at a distance, broadly equivalent to ‘ehealth’ or the FCC’s ‘e-care’
In general, ‘telecare’ as a function of social support rather than healthcare is as foreign to the dominant North American culture as is the notion of ‘social care’ itself. (Perhaps for some US readers I need to point out that this has nothing to do with anti-capitalism, but is the concept that the organisations which spend taxpayers’ money have a duty to help look after the taxpayers who contributed to the cost of the care of others in the years before they were old and infirm. It can be good for the recipients, but is a kind of Ponzi scheme.)
‘Telecare’ equipment (as in the UK sense), starting, if we must with pendant alarms, are firmly in the ‘health emergency’ category in many parts of the world.
So unless the TSA and Continua hammer out an agreed definition of what the telecare in their use case is about, they will spend a lot of time talking at cross-purposes. “It’s telecare, Jim, but not as we know it…”
If the UK usage loses out, we may find ourselves searching for a new term.
On the other hand, the UK application of ‘telecare’ may find more widespread use across the world, and a socialist might be elected to the White House.
Telecare v telecare. Ha!!
Blimey Steve!! I thought for a moment you were going to suggest “telehealthcare” as an alternative for the use case (and use in the UK!)