‘Innovations have the potential to facilitate independence for elderly patients’

Agetech World meets Joop Tanis, director of MedTech Consulting, to discuss the considerations that innovators need to keep in mind when creating technology for the elderly.

How can technology improve the delivery of healthcare?

The ambition for the NHS, and other healthcare systems, to collaborate with the technology sector has always existed. Many of the technology solutions adopted by the NHS start development in industry, and technology has arguably always played a part in enhancing the delivery of healthcare.

Resources in healthcare systems are finite, and, as the UK population continues to age, technology has an important role to play in enabling the self-management of age-related diseases and health conditions, including remote monitoring, improving the efficiency of healthcare tasks such as patient monitoring, and democratising the ability to deliver care.

Innovation means that we can break down some of the established barriers to the delivery of healthcare in the current system. 

What do tech companies need to keep in mind when creating technology for the older generation?

Technological solutions designed with the end-user in mind are more effective at improving overall patient care and multiple perspectives should be considered when developing new technologies. Identifying the main user of an innovation means that inventors, and developers, can gain valuable insight from the intended user group to comprehensively understand users’ needs from the beginning of the design process, which can help to highlight unanticipated flaws in the intended function of the technology.

Identifying problems before a product goes to market presents an opportunity to refine the design of the technology to ensure there are no barriers to its intended function and purpose. 

For the elderly user group, it’s advisable to learn from other innovations which have had barriers to adoption. This can be due to several reasons, and it is important that developers do not make assumptions about this age group’s technical abilities.

One reason why older people may not wish to engage with new technology is a lack of understanding, but it could also be attributed to a desire to continue with an established routine, or a preconception about the technology due to a previous negative experience. Frustrated users may be more motivated to share their experiences than satisfied users, which can disproportionately affect the insight you receive from the user group.  

Another consideration for innovators and developers is the indirect user group associated with the elderly, which includes relatives, carers and care home staff. It shouldn’t be assumed that these individuals will embrace new technology, unless they see benefits in doing so, such as improved communication, closer involvement or increased efficiency. 

Finally, technology companies need to consider the longevity of their software as adaptability to software updates is likely to disproportionately negatively affect the elderly, and disenfranchise the user group.  

A collaborative design process can address some of these challenges, by matching users’ needs identified through user input; developing a device and engaging with user groups throughout the process; and gathering actual user feedback during the evaluation stage to validate that the innovation meets the original users’ need. Access to key stakeholders in the end user group is essential for the successful development of technology that will deliver patient benefits, and positive outcomes. 

How can technology help both carers and patients?

Social isolation contributes to depression and a decline in physical health and wellbeing, and, while technology cannot replace human interaction, it can enable efficiency and capacity in the system to enable carers to allocate time saved for social interaction. 

Elderly people benefit from a support system, which includes relatives, carers or members of the community. This complex support system is interdependent, and an extended hospital stay, or other disruption, can disorder the network and it cannot be easily rebuilt. Technological innovations can be deployed to diagnose, treat and self-monitor diseases and health conditions, to reduce disruption to a support system and maintain an individual’s independence. 

What do you see in the future of healthcare for older people?

There will continue to be a gap between current technology, and the target user group, which needs to be bridged and innovators need to design technology to work for the experience, and environment, of the end user. 

I believe that innovations in technology have the potential to facilitate independence for elderly patients, improve longevity and quality of life, and shorten care pathways for patients. 

How can technology have an impact on longevity?

Advances in technology mean that the NHS, and other healthcare systems, have the capacity and ability to diagnose and treat health conditions and diseases earlier and more effectively. Diagnosing historically undiagnosed, or late diagnosed, diseases has extended lifespans, while previously terminal diseases can now be treated with more technologically advanced treatments available. 

The NHS’s Long-Term plan sets out the system’s plans to support people aging well, and technology has an important role to play in this; enabling people to live independently at home for longer, and improving the quality of life for elderly patients. 

Joop Tanis is the director of MedTech Consulting. Joop has both clinical and innovation experience and he successfully led the UK wide delivery of the SBRI Healthcare Programme.