Telecare Submits IPO Prospectus, Pioneering Remote Care Solutions for Aging and Vulnerable Populations

What Is Telecare?
Telecare (remote care) is a term for providing telemedicine to the elderly and individuals with limited physical capabilities, offering them care to ensure they can continue living independently at home. The sensors used in telecare provide assistance and support for patients with dementia or those at risk of falling.

The UK government defines telecare as “a service that enables people, particularly older adults and more vulnerable individuals, to live independently and safely at home. It includes personal and environmental sensors to enhance safety and independence in the home. Round-the-clock monitoring ensures that, in the event of an emergency, information is promptly transmitted back and users receive the most timely and effective response.”

Most remote care can mitigate the harm of adverse events and help improve response speed. Some types of remote care, such as Safety Confirmation and Lifestyle Monitoring, have preventive functions and can detect signs of user condition deterioration at an early stage.

Telecare differs from telemedicine in that it leverages human-centric science and technology to enable individuals to receive care within their own homes. There is no international consensus on the definition and usage of telecare. In the United Kingdom, it is built upon the framework of social care, whereas in other countries, telecare is often utilized for remote medical practices.

Target Audience of Telecare
Remote care services can be customized to individual needs. Below are some examples of beneficiaries:
1. Physically Frail or High-Risk Populations
2. Persons with Disabilities
3. Individuals with Learning Difficulties
4. Individuals Living Alone
5. Individuals with limited mobility
6. Individuals at Risk of Falling
7. Individuals on long-term medication or undergoing treatment

Remote care programs not only improve individuals' quality of life but also help healthcare providers fulfill their responsibilities in delivering medical services more efficiently.

The Role of Telecare
Studies show that most individuals with compromised physical health still wish to maintain their independence in daily living, and telecare can help realize this aspiration. When family members and friends are unable to provide close, hands-on care for these vulnerable populations, telecare can serve as a substitute for their support. Focusing on technology and services, telecare aims to save lives and improve quality of life. Telecare services typically include a personal 24-hour monitoring alarm system connected to a monitoring center. In the event of an emergency, the individual can press an SOS button to contact the monitoring center, after which dedicated personnel will provide assistance. With technological advancements, some telecare service providers have integrated personal alarm systems with mobile phones and GPS. This enables a two-way communication mechanism between the individual and the monitoring center, allowing operators to view the user’s location on a map and deliver timely emergency medical assistance.

Use of Telecare
In its simplest form, the system connects a landline or mobile phone to a monitoring center, allowing users to trigger an alarm via telephone. More advanced systems employ sensors capable of monitoring a range of potential risks, including falls, as well as floods, fires, and gas leaks caused by changes in the home environment. For patients with dementia, sensors may be activated when they leave their home or a designated area. These sensors then transmit radio signals to a in-home device, which automatically places a call to the 24-hour monitoring center. Trained operators subsequently take appropriate action to assist the patient by contacting the homeowner, physician, or emergency medical services.

Remote care also includes standalone remote care, which does not transmit signals to a monitoring center but instead provides local alerts within the user’s home to notify them when attention is required. It is worth noting that remote care is not merely an early warning system but also a preventive measure. Currently, there are many alarm systems available, such as Pill Dispensers, Telephone Prompt Services, and Movement Monitoring. Today, multi-lingual remote care services have reached a broader audience. These systems play a crucial role in maintaining individuals’ independence and enabling them to receive care while remaining in their own homes.

Advantages of Telecare
Benefits to the Individual:
1. Maintain/improve independence, enabling individuals to have greater autonomy and more choices in their own homes
2. Dual Protection for Peace of Mind
3. Reduce the need for nursing kits
4. Delaying/Avoiding Visits to Healthcare Facilities
5. Reduce Hospital Length of Stay
6. The device is capable of providing continuous, automated 24-hour remote monitoring
7. Easy to use, customizable to individual needs
8. Emergencies can be handled promptly
9. Improve people's quality of life and enhance home safety

Benefits for Health and Social Care Institutions:
1. Reduce mutual visits between healthcare institutions and patients
2. Promote localized services
3. Faster Diagnosis and Intervention
4. Reduce mortality and extend survival rates
5. Reduce Healthcare Costs
6. More Efficient Utilization of Medical Resources

Telecare in the UK
In 2005, the UK Department of Health released *Building Telecare in England* to facilitate the development of telecare in the United Kingdom. In May 2008, the UK Department of Health launched the Whole System Demonstrator (WSD) programme, the world’s largest randomized controlled trial of telehealth and telecare, involving 6,191 patients and 238 general practitioner practices across Newham, Kent, and Cornwall. The trials were evaluated by City University London, the University of Oxford, the University of Manchester, Imperial College London, and the London School of Economics.
WSD reached the following conclusions after conducting a telemedicine trial involving 3,154 patients:
1. Mortality rate reduced by 45%
2. 20% Decrease in Emergency Department Visits
3. 14% reduction in bed rest duration
4. Tariff costs reduced by 8%, etc.

Telecare in China
The aging society has created vast “business opportunities,” with the remote care market being one of the most promising sectors in Taiwan. Currently, countries around the world are prioritizing remote care as a key development area, and “physiological monitoring” devices, including thermometers and blood glucose meters, have become crucial components of the remote care industry. According to relevant studies in the United Kingdom, the e-healthcare market is projected to grow by 56% over the next five years, whereas the traditional clinical healthcare market is expected to grow by only 9.9%, underscoring the significant growth potential of remote care. At present, physiological monitoring companies in Taiwan have already demonstrated strong high-tech R&D capabilities, with continuous breakthroughs in product innovation.

For example, the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) has successfully developed the world’s thinnest wireless physiological monitoring patch. Leveraging its “miniature wireless physiological monitoring system” technology, the device continuously tracks changes in the user’s body temperature, respiration, heart rate, and electrocardiogram (ECG), and can transmit emergency alerts via wireless communication. Physiological monitoring products from Taiwan offer the dual advantages of reasonable pricing and consistent quality. They have become one of the region’s leading medical device exports and have established a strong reputation in markets such as Europe and the United States. With advancements in wireless transmission technology, these products are gradually gaining significant global prominence.

Text | Liu Nan Editor | Mo Renying

VCBeat’s Chief Advisor for Glossary of Hot Terms in Internet Healthcare: Zhao Xinyuan, current CEO of Beijing Yingtai Kelong Technology Co., Ltd., and member of the Technical Steering Committee of HL7 China.

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