What are the future business models for Technology Enabled Care Services and how can the market be expanded? – Key questions for discussion at the ALIP Economic and Business Modelling workshop in March 2014

On 12^th March 2014, the Technology Strategy Board’s Assisted Living Innovation Platform (ALIP) held a workshop in London to discuss key findings from projects funded under the Economic and Business Modelling call, which commenced in 2010. With the current market in flux and unlikely to expand, the focus of the day was to consider approaches that could support a large scale market for technology enabled care services (TECs) targeted primarily to the end user. Whilst in the future this will generate a market driven by consumer demand, Jo Nicholson, who presented key findings from the MALT study, argued that the statutory market will continue to provide an important revenue stream for industry. Jo also pointed out that many end users are likely to be introduced to technology enabled care services at a time when they require support from a health or social care provider, for example following diagnosis of a long-term health condition. Overcoming the barriers to frontline staff acceptance of technologies such as telehealth and telecare therefore remains an important goal, and Jo offered an insight into how industry can better engage with clinicians to develop technologies that, as well as meeting the needs of the end user, can lead to improved clinical practice and promote patient self-care within the statutory sector. 

Written by Dr Jo Nicholson