Telecare Aware’s Terminology Campaign
What’s the problem?
Multiple meanings of the words ‘telecare’, ‘telehealth’, ‘telemedicine’, etc. abound. Conversely, similar concepts have many names. As a consequence:
- Professionals use their preferred terminology and confuse journalists
- Journalists’ misconceptions spread public confusion
- Speed of adoption of the technology is retarded
- People suffer without appropriate monitoring systems
- Suppliers have to work harder to thrive
- The development of new technologies falters
What’s the solution and where will it come from?
I used to believe that the matter would evolve towards a solution. However, I now see it evolving towards greater confusion. We have reached a situation where a standard, internationally recognised taxonomy and set of definitions needs to be agreed and adopted.
However, it is no one’s responsibility to take on this task. The only organisation that has a broad base of worldwide technology suppliers and which has a remit to develop any international standards (albeit only in the health technology arena at the moment) is the Continua Alliance. It is in the Alliance’s members’ long term interest to tackle this problem.
What role will Telecare Aware play?
During 2008 Telecare Aware will post links to news items that illustrate the problems. I am happy to open up these pages to everyone who is interested in this issue and invite contributions by way of articles and comments. Although I have some views about how words should be applied in this field (see the What is Telecare page, for example) I am more concerned that an international consensus is formed than I am about promoting my particular usage.
Where shall we start?
Start with this excellent article Telecare, telehealth and assistive technologies – do we know what we’re talking about? Doughty, K et al, published in the Journal of Assistive Technologies (Volume 1 Issue 2, December 2007) and made available to Telecare Aware readers by kind permission of Pavilion Journals (Brighton) Ltd.
What next?
Click on the ‘Terminology’ category in the right hand sidebar to call up all the blog posts currently relating to this issue.
Steve Hards
January 2008
Comments/questions
25 January 2008
Mike Orton said:
Steve
There is indeed a lot of confusion regarding the terminilogy for Telecare, Telehealth and Telemedicine, which is to be expected in an embryonic industry still trying to become mainstreamed. I agree some definitions need to established and accepted internationally.
However, as a point, there is still some confusion over the term assistive technology and what it encompasses, it would seem that terminology takes a great deal of time to become accepted and used in the correct context.
Telecare Aware is an excellent and informative site.
Mike Orton
21 April 2008
Keren Down said:
The benefit of using the term ‘assistive technology’ as an umbrella term to encompass ‘any product or service designed to enable independence for disabled and older people’ is that it highlights the fact that there are common principles and approaches. (King’s Fund consultation 2001 - see www.fastuk.org for more information on this definition.) Those common principles relate to the requirement to closely match person to technology, more so than in other areas of technology.
The confusion seems to arise due to the fact that assistive technology is not a term fitted for day-to-day use and that it has been used in very specific (service defined) contexts.
It is a term well fitted for strategic planning. An analogy is the term ‘transport’. On the whole people don’t say ‘I’m going to go and take a transport up to the Elephant and Castle’. But you do have transport planners, transportation strategies, etc. On an individual basis people use the term to talk about their options, I might say ‘Living 10 minutes from the Elephant and Castle I have a lot of transport options available to me’.
However, if boatmen on the Thames starting calling their boats ‘transports’ it would seem a bit odd. That’s a bit similar from my perspective to people in the education sector calling devices to enable access to computers ‘assistive technology’ or Government ministers referring to the potential of ‘assistive technology’ when they mean telecare and telehealth devices and systems.
But I’m optimistic that the worldwide use of the term assistive technology and common sense will prevail (um .. well we can live in hope. ) Cheers. Keren
19 June 2008
Angela Single said:
Hi Steve
I think it is far less confusing if the industry refletcs what goes on in the real world! i.e we already have healthcare and care.
When we use those terms we all know what type of care we are talking about so why do we want to be different.
It also isn’t about technology it is about service delivery - the AT or technolgy are tools to delivering care or health in very different ways - unless we get that we really have not understood what is curently happening out there in the real world.
My vote is for Telecare and Telehealth!!! Simple - using technology to deliver either care or healthcare - what is confusing about that and why do we need to spend hrs debating it! See our web-site www.ci-ltd.org for more info on Telecare and Telehealth good practice.
Good luck - Angela