Technology-Enabled Lives: Delivering Outcomes for People and Providers

OPPORTUNITY FOR IMPROVED LIVES THROUGH DIGITAL CARE NOT BEING REALISED, PAPER FINDS

The Technology Enabled Care (TEC) Action Alliance, which involves over 30 care organisations, has released a challenge paper titled "Technology-Enabled Lives: Delivering Outcomes for People and Providers." The paper highlights the lack of widespread adoption of digital social care services despite the public's desire for technology to better support those who draw on social care and health services. The report reveals that only a handful of councils, housing, and care organisations are delivering digital care in people's homes at scale. This is despite evidence that using technology in social care keeps people safe, healthy, and happy at home.

The paper indicates that digital social care services reduce ambulance trips to A&E by 68-85%, help 85-94% of people remain at home if emergency calls are handled by TEC responder teams, cut emergency response times to 30 minutes, and help to refer 35-40% of people to community services rather than formal social care. The report calls on care commissioners and suppliers to listen carefully to what people want and co-produce their services and products with individuals who use them to ensure an enhanced focus on personal needs.

The TEC Action Alliance intends to bridge the divide between personalising and scaling services by identifying how to engage people who draw on care and deliver successful outcomes. The paper recommends integrating care technology within broader NHS plans around virtual wards, sharing health and care data more widely, and making funding available for preventative technology that proactively supports people at home.

TEC Services Association CEO and TEC Action Alliance co-chair Alyson Scurfield said that "digital care services can put power in the hands of people, helping them to self-manage their own health and live the life they want to lead."

The paper urges care providers to focus on personal needs and co-create services with individuals who use them. The report also recommends sharing health and care data, integrating care technology within broader NHS plans, and making funding available for preventative technology. The TEC Action Alliance is committed to identifying how to bridge the divide between personalizing and scaling services and will develop an action paper to evidence the relationship between engaging people who draw on care and delivering successful outcomes.

Download the full challenge paper on the TEC Action Alliance website here