Implementing an advanced telecare solution in Poland to combat Covid-19
An advanced and 24/7 telecare call-center implemented by Kwido that will allow to monitor the health of the family members remotely and to guarantee their well-being in the context of the state of alert caused by the Covid-19
We are very pleased to announce that Ideable -through our Kwido branch- has been chosen by the Polish town of Sopot to lead an innovative project that will focus on the well-being of their elderly people.
In the following lines we will explain what the project consists of, and why advanced telecare solutions are the future of healthcare -especially in critical moments, as we are living now due to the effects of the Covid-19- which require maximum attention and protection for the elderly.
What is the solution for elderly care implemented in Sopot?
Szosa Telehealthcare Platform is an advanced telecare solution that uses Kwido technology to monitor the health of the elderly, besides offering added services to guarantee a lower level of physical and cognitive health.
Which are the main features of the system?
Video calls
Making video calls between the user, the telehealthcare service center staff and/or their relatives.
Thanks to this functionality, on the one hand, the reduction of trips and well-being of the users is achieved; on the other hand, the possibility of constant interconnection between patient-family-doctor and, finally, the reduction of expenses for the company and/or health system, by optimizing trips and reducing collapses.
Integration with health devices: smartwatch
The platform is integrated with a smartwatch, so the person also receives support outdoors if needed, allowing the person to establish a direct phone call with the call center or trigger an alarma, besides the person can also be located thanks to the GPS feature. and monitor if there is an emergency situation to communicate with the user. The smartwatch also allows to measure the walking distances, in order to determine the recommended physical activity.
Calendar of appointments, visits and reminders
The calendar allows the patient and technician to track and add reminders about medical appointments, or when the user will receive a visit from the technician in charge for a home check. Alerts and reminders are sent, which may be visible to the patient, or exclusive to the application administrators.
Health monitoring
Using the health section, the technicians visualize the health measurements registered by the person at home, and can manage their care plan in a personalized way, as well as launch reminders to the patient to take their medication.
Messages
Besides video call communications, the system provides a messaging system between health care staff and the patient. In this way, professionals can send reminders or recommendations to patients, and patients can reply to the conversation with questions about their medication or health status.
Alerts and tracking
The application works with an alert system that contributes to turn the platform into a preventive system, as we have mentioned before.
The alerts can be launched either automatically, as in the case of fall detection, triggered by the user if an emergency occurs or simply to request a call with the professional.
The call-center technicians can also write down all the incidents that occur in the service on a daily basis in order to follow up on each case as well as for the subsequent exploitation of information.
Cognitive stimulation module
Within this health solution, which pursues prevention as its main premise, a cognitive stimulation module is included which turns the Szosa platform into a complete 360º system.
The cognitive stimulation unit contains games designed to activate the brain, prevent aging and detect the first signs of dementia. Different cognitive functions are worked on, such as memory, reasoning or logic, and performance data are collected to alert about possible cognitive impairment.
It includes patients, home help technicians and family members
The platform is managed by medical specialists, or assigned home help technicians, who discharge their patients, consult their health variables, and establish personalized alerts according to each user’s particular situation.
Elderly users, on the other hand, access the platform through a tablet device, which will help make the technological interaction of the elderly with the app as simple, agile and intuitive as possible.
In addition, the platform offers the possibility of including family members in the equation. Thanks to the Szosa telehealth app for relatives, a version of the platform in app format that will allow authorised family members to be in contact with the patient by means of video calls, and to consult the main health data updated by the patient.
What objectives are pursued with the implementation of the solution?
We have listed some of the main objectives that have been set for the implementation of the solution for advanced telecare in the city of Sopot.
- Active role of the user
- Prevention and protection of users
- Reduction of risk situations
- Resource optimization
- Immediacy in acting
- Customization of care according to needs
- Promoting quality of life and stay at home
Among them, it is intended to address the assistance service from prevention, instead of reaction. This central idea, from which the rest of the objectives are derived, is fundamental in modern and advanced healthcare, in order to be prepared for the emergence of new threats, as we are experiencing these months with the Covid-19.
Prevention allows us to guarantee the well-being of the most vulnerable groups, such as the elderly, and helps us to anticipate risk and establish measures to avoid putting health at risk or causing our health systems to collapse.
To this end, and as our CEO, Iñaki Bartolomé, explains: “the development of data-based health technology is an essential tool for guaranteeing advanced health care that protects the elderly and those at risk from extreme situations“.
Szosa, a leading example of the evolution of healthcare at an international level
The population over 65 years of age is growing at a faster rate than other population segments on a global scale. According to data from the report “World Population Perspectives 2019”, the United Nations estimates that in 2050, we will have gone from the current 9% of the population over 65 years old, to 16%, worldwide.
It is also an alarming fact that in 2018, for the first time in history, people aged 65 and over outnumbered children under five throughout the world.
In the words of Iñaki Bartolomé, Ideable’s CEO, these are “figures that must be taken into account both by institutions and by technology companies. We must increase our commitment to the elderly, not underestimate their capabilities and help them adapt to a technological wave that can help them enormously in their quality of life. To do this, we need to value the elderly, and work to offer solutions adapted to their needs, in the same way that we create specific software for the youngest“.
In Sopot they have already taken the reins, being the city in Poland with the highest rate of ageing. And they are starting with this project in the midst of a global pandemic, which will undoubtedly be of great help in protecting their elderly, but also their health system.
At Ideable and Kwido, we are continuing to work intensely to ensure that our country’s health systems – and at a global level – replicate a model of remote assistance that will undoubtedly be the central axis for guaranteeing the health and well-being of the population in the immediate future.
“Adaptation of the KWIDO platform in order to develop and provide public services for the care of the elderly and debilitated illnesses” Project co-financed by the European Union under the European Social Funds.
Ideable SL is a digital transformation and software development company with more than eight years of experience in creating eHealth solutions. Our product Kwido is used in different European countries and, thanks to this experience, we carry out adaptations and integrations to suit the needs of public and private systems.