An article by Alfonso de Lucas David,
Director of Technology and Innovation at (Arpada Group)
The “digital transformation” It is probably one of the most topical terms in our country, especially accentuated during this terrible pandemic that we have suffered in the last two years. With the arrival of the European bailout fundsthe machinery of the large technological consulting companies is greased with tremendous speed to identify hundreds of possible projects that companies in our country can champion as “transformers” either “digital” and thus take advantage of one of the few positive consequences that Covid-19 has given us.
But what exactly is digital transformation? This article seeks to give a simple and human answer about this concept, with the aim of bringing those who consider themselves ignorant in the matter closer, or who simply assume that technology is a field that advances with such speed that we will never be able to reach it, the possibilities that technology can offer us in improving the health of the elderly.
The ultimate goal of technology in the socio-sanitary field is to help improve the health and care of our elderly
Among technologists it is common to debate whether technology should be considered a means or an end in itself. After 15 years of professional experience in the world of technology, having had the opportunity to get to know different cultures, live on several continents and work in many sectors, my conclusion in each case is always the same: technology should be a meansand specifically when we talk about the technology applied in the socio-sanitary sector, this must be a way to bring people together.
Many meanings are attributed to the digital transformationHowever, a simple way to approach it is to understand digital transformation as the application of current technologies to improve our daily lives. When we acquire new software to replace a process that until then we did manually, that is digital transformation. But it is also digital transformation when a pandemic does not allow us to visit our mother, uncle, or grandfather, who is in a residence and we decide to replace the visit with a videoconference that allows us to see each other virtually.
One of the great virtues of technology in our time is the tremendous speed at which their costs are being reduced. Access to valuable technology 15 years ago was within the reach of a handful of companies with large budgets, however, this globalized world in which we live has brought technology to our doors, and it has become inexcusable not to use it in the business field.
In the socio-sanitary sector we find more and more solutions that help us improve the health of our elderly. Some of them very complex, very expensive, and very specific. However, we find many other much cheaper technologies and services that help bring our elders closer together and collaborate in improving their health. Let’s talk about some of these solutions:
The easiest to implement
- video conferencing systems
In the technological world we have wanted to invent an infinite number of solutions that ultimately all have the same mission, to connect with each other. It is interesting to see how on a business level, healthcare professionals suddenly display an aversion to change and a fear of technology, yet on a personal level they sometimes display unusual abilities to take full advantage of your mobile phone.
This should be the objective of the implementation of a videoconference system in the socio-health field. We must look for systems that are easy to use, intuitive, and above all compatible with video conferencing solutions that already exist on the market. Strange is the case of a person who today does not use WhatsApp, for example, and this application is available on both Android and Apple (the two best-known mobile platforms on the market). We can implement solutions as simple as a Tablet with a 4G card (if we do not have a WiFi network in the center), or if we want to make a larger investment we can Turn any room with a TV into a video conferencing center with a device like From Facebook.
In this field, the latest technologies have allowed the development of robots or autonomous systems who are able to move around the center independently, take a virtual tour of it to potential clients, or even make nightly rounds going in and out of rooms without human help.
Those who can not miss
- nurse call systems
In my opinion it is a system that should not be missing in any senior center. The goal of these systems is allow our elders to request help from medical personnel immediately. we can implant very simple and cheap solutions Through a wireless system, they will enable the activation of a device that the medical and geroculturist team will carry on their person to alert them when an elderly person needs assistance.
These basic equipments are very economical and have the great advantage that no need to wire the center, which is always a handicap for those centers already in the operating phase. On the contraryThey do not have the possibility of voice communicationwhich does not allow discerning the flames that are urgent from the rest.
In newly built centers, the situation should be taken advantage of to wire the center and thus have access to more complete and reliable systems. Depending on the investment, we can have access to analog voice systems, or delve into the world of IP solutions that will allow us much more advanced and complete management, through touch screens in rooms or mobile devices. The great advantage of the latter is the possibility of integration with the center’s information systems, which will allow us to optimize and automate countless business processes.
The future of this type of system will pass through integrate all resident information on a mobile device that, in a simple and fast way, allows the center team to carry out tasks, prescribe treatments or make evaluations of our elders.
The most current
- Room sensorization
In the home environment there are already a multitude of products that allow the sensorization of spaces. It is not complex or expensive to apply some of these solutions to senior centers. The most basic solutions go through sensorize the central element of the room, the mattress, which allows us to analyze if our elder has been able to suffer a fall or accident. More advanced solutions allow us to combine sensors in the bed, room and bathroom, with mathematical algorithms that help us to identify behavior patterns of our elders, which ultimately can help us to prevent risk situations.
My theory about the future of this type of solution goes through sensorize not spaces, but people. Through sensors attached to the skin we can monitor vital signswith accelerometers to identify falls or accidents, and without limitation once the resident leaves the space of the room.
- The use of robots as support in therapies
Like the other technologies robotics is taking giant steps, both in its development and in the reduction of its costs. These are not yet solutions within the reach of all centers, but we are beginning to find robot solutions on the market that allow the programming of relatively advanced movements that, combined with voice or music, can be useful in the development of recovery therapies for cognitive impairment. It is still a field with a long way to go, but it will undoubtedly be an area of development that will increasingly bring solutions for practical application in centers for the elderly.
The ultimate goal of technology is, and must remain, that of bring people closer and, in the area of socio-health centers, that of help improve the health and care of our elderly.