Advanced Care Technologies (ACT)

An R&D and Knowledge Transfer Programmein South Yorkshire, England

ACT is a joint R&D and knowledge transfer project between SISA (University of Sheffield), Clinical Engineering and Medical Physics (Barnsley Hospital), and nine partner companies and organisations. It is part funded by Objective 1 European Regional Structural Funds.

Over two years, ACT will nurture innovative networking partnerships with companies and organisations, to develop new and improved assistive and telecare technologies (ATT) products and systems, and to investigate their most effective applications to the care and support of frail older people.

South Yorkshire Advanced Care Technologies ProjectSouth Yorkshire Advanced Care Technologies Project

SUPPORTIVE

REHABILITATION/PREVENTATIVE

RESPONSIVE

PREDICTIVE/DEDUCTIVESYSTEMS

Activities ofdaily living

(ADL)

'Transfer'monitoring

Eventmonitoring

Gradualgeneraldecline

Fall predictionRoom

occupancymonitoring

ALARMSYSTEMS

Respirationmonitor

Gasmonitor

Fall detector

(In)Activitymonitor

CardiotachometerIncontinence

monitor

Chairoccupancy

monitor

Bloodpressuremonitor

Smokedetector

'Panic'pendant

ASSISTIVE & SMARTHOME TECHNOLOGIES

Pacemaker

Smartwheelchair

TherapyUnits

Personalheatingsystems

Video'doorbell'Stair-lift

'Keyless'entry

systems

Drug dispenser/compliance unit

Dialysismachine

Reminder unit(dementia) REHABILITATION

/PREVENTATIVE

SUPPORTIVEHOME BASED

RESPONSIVE

USER Needs

Care Care technologiestechnologies

Source: Brownsell, S. and Bradley, D., Assistive Technology and Telecare: Forging Solutions for Independent Living. Policy Press, Bristol, 2003.

Automatic detection of deviations from ‘normal’ lifestyle pattern

Physical activityNutritionSocial contactsHealth parametersWashing and hygiene etc

Sensors PIR Movement sensorsBed/chair occupancy

Door usage Electrical appliance usage

Health monitorsEnvironmental sensors

Monitoring Centre / Health Organisation

Warden / Carer / Family

Alert user

Lifestyle Monitoring orLifestyle Monitoring orLifestyle ReassuranceLifestyle Reassurance

Background factorsBackground factors

Ageing of the population, with rises in life expectancy, particularly in old age, are accompanied by approximately proportionate increases in the duration of life with impaired functions (especially mobility limitations and cognition)

Rising quality of life expectations – with each cohort – including for participation in family life (relations with grandchildren), home-based activities, travel and community participation

Rapid advances in informatics, especially Internet-based applications, telecommunications, and electronic aids in daily living -- mobile phones to satellite-assisted determination of location and route guidance (Sat.Nav)

Rising average cost of new medical technologies (especially medication and surgery), and growing expectation for medical and care options to be ‘commodified’ – transferred from social insurance to private funding ... innoculation is ‘free’, you buy a mobility scooter

South Yorkshire Advanced Care Technologies ProjectSouth Yorkshire Advanced Care Technologies Project

Overall aim:

To enable South Yorkshire (SY) companies to benefit from a fast expanding, world market for assistive and telecare technologies (ATT)

Objectives:

1 To create and develop new care and support products and delivery systems along with new applications

2 To work with the companies to raise the effectiveness and user acceptability of existing ATT products

3 To provide existing businesses with market intelligence to enter new markets

4 To stimulate increased investment in research and development within the region and its businesses.

Partner OrganisationsPartner Organisations

Tunstall Group Ltd - the world's leading manufacturer and provider of personal and home reassurance telecare solutions and response centre systems

Toby Churchill Ltd - leading manufacturer of portable communication and environmental control aids for people of all ages with speech and physical disability

Madhouse Software Productions Ltd - develops and retails software for applications that assist the severely physically disabled and elderly people

Clark and Partners Ltd – runs ‘Mobility and Age Care Centres’ as a retailer and servicing company

Sheffcare Ltd and Humberside Independent Care Association Ltd - residential care providers

BASE (British Association for Service to the Elderly), Age Concern (Yorkshire) and Help the Aged (Northern England) - organisations that advocate for and support local initiatives to improve care and support of older people

Assistive products for people with disabilities

The Living in Britain survey showed that 8 per cent of the 42 million adults aged 16+ years reported some form of mobility problem. This proportion rises rapidly for people aged over 65 years, and for men and women aged 85 and over reaches 50 and 65 per cent. One-half of all mobility aids were purchased privately.

Office of Fair Trading, May 2004, p. 5, http://www.statistics.gov.uk

Type of aid Per cent UK estimate (000s) N

Walking stick 69 3,306 . 1,251

Crutches 8 373 . 136

Walking frame/tripod/zimmer 8 385 . 144

Trolley 2 90 . 32

Manual wheelchair 9 441 . 163

Electric wheelchair 2 98 . 37

Buggy/scooter 2 115 . 42

Total in use 4,807 . 1,805

TABLE B.1 – NUMBER OF MOBILITY AIDS IN USE IN UK 2001

Yorkshire Forward, the UK government’s regional development agency, has recently identified the Healthcare Technologies Cluster as a priority area for investment. It recognises the diverse range of activity in a number of key healthcare technology sectors in the region. These include broad-ranging R&D, manufacturing and related supporting activity across:

The medical devices industry, including

o Surgical instruments

o Implantable devices

o Medical and assistive equipment

o Medical consumables

o Prosthetics and orthotics

The pharmaceutical industry (including biopharma)

Nutraceuticals and functional foods

Source: Healthcare Technology Industries: Mapping Study. Final Report, Regeneris Consulting, Altrincham, Greater Manchester, for Yorkshire Forward, Leeds, August 2006.

South Yorkshire

Medical Devices Employment in Yorkshire and Humberside, UK

Source: Healthcare Technology Industries: Mapping Study. Final Report, Regeneris Consulting, for Yorkshire Forward, August 2006.

South Yorkshire Advanced Care Technologies ProjectSouth Yorkshire Advanced Care Technologies Project

ImplementationImplementation

R&D projects agreed with partners, from basic systems, through product development to user acceptability (market research)

High profile knowledge transfer and marketing events

Knowledge transfer through website and ‘South Yorkshire ATT forum’

Creation of strategic networking alliances Post-project commercialisation and

continuation