Is the UK out in front of others, including the US, when it comes to smart homes, telecare and telehealthcare technology adoption?
George MacGinnis on the difference between telecare and telehealth: In terms of telecare we think of tele-social care. The main focus is on managing risks to peoples’ lives. They might have a panic button, a fall sensor and these might be people who are suffering from dementia. There are risks that they might leave the oven on and create a fire, so there are remote control fire detectors or remote gas shut off valves, etc. Whereas [telehealth] is much more about chronic disease management: Diabetics might be checking their sugar, others might be checking peak flows, blood pressure or weighing themselves and answering questions about their health.
