UK provides IPTV model for targeting the elderly

Also known as the Independent Living Campaign, the service is entirely free to the end user. Jones said they are targeting both those without access to broadband through a PC and those who don’t yet have digital TV. Technology-wise, it requires a dedicated set-top box and broadband connection. Users get access to free-to-air channels, called Freeview channels, local programs and on-demand content. Streaming video and text-based information is pulled from a range of partners, including the National Health Services Web site, and targeted to the individual based on their needs. The service also includes a recommendation engine pulling from past usage history and a user’s health record. The web content includes a personalized calendar, local travel information such as the bus schedules, simplified email and a voting and consultation mechanism for service providers to poll their users.

A small production team is also working with the users to generate programs for sharing. For example, a stroke patient could create a video about how her experience changed her life and what help and resources are available. For family members and caregivers, live streaming information based on data sharing protocols and privileges can be provided via a Dashboard interface. The service is supported by a help desk and volunteers whose job is to ensure users are comfortable with the technology in the first six weeks of connection.

Broadband Capital estimates that the service could allow community caregivers to reduce spending by half, with the potential to reduce to one-tenth the cost. After the initial pilot ending in March, Jones plans to expand into home repairs, web-based mental health support software for the TV and medication reminders.

“We’ve done a trial of a monitored home for people who are vulnerable or have reduced mobility or dementia,” Jones said. “You can make sure people are moving in the house or send a notification if someone has left and the door was left open. We can make sure the temperature is okay to make sure people who are less aware of temperature aren’t staying in houses that are too cold. The next layer is specific telemedical applications, for example, for people with chronic heart failure who need to have their blood pressure taken regularly. That can be done with a device, and the information can be routed back through the same broadband connection to us. So it’s an integrated model around health and care where IPTV is the core technology.”