Economic analyses for ICT in elderly healthcare: questions and challenges

Abstract

Elderly healthcare is a likely arena for extensive change in years to come, and information and communication technology (ICT) will be an important enabler of such change. Before investing in new systems and practices, there will be a call for evaluations. To date, economic evaluations of ICT applications in healthcare have been rare, and a literature review did not turn up any examples of such evaluations of elderly care. The options for elderly care will often have to transcend organization boundaries, as the point of many ICT initiatives now being discussed is to make healthcare institutions, home care, and self-administered care interact in new ways. Analysts performing evaluations of such complex changes will have to be very specific about such classic issues in economic analysis as defining alternatives, the basis for comparison, and combining different indicators into an overall evaluation.

Organizational effects of information and communication technology (ICT) in elderly homecare: a case study

“…The experiences in Old@Home reinforce the view we have developed elsewhere [48,49]. (Vimarlund and Olve; Olve and Vimarlund) that there is a need for evaluations that identify the impact on the several actors who use a new system, and whose work processes may change as the system enables them to work in new and more efficient ways.…”

Bruk av video=kommunikasjonsteknologi i hverdags- og/eller telerehabilitering

“…There are, however, some uncertainties attached to this. Due to the complexity of the issue and a series of methodical challenges it is difficult and challenging to measure cost effectiveness in this context (35). However, several studies show that compared to treatment in hospital, it will be more cost effective to treat this type of patients locally, in the home or in an institution (15,35).…”

“…Due to the complexity of the issue and a series of methodical challenges it is difficult and challenging to measure cost effectiveness in this context (35). However, several studies show that compared to treatment in hospital, it will be more cost effective to treat this type of patients locally, in the home or in an institution (15,35). Other challenges than the purely economical are addressed in other studies -e. g. problems with unstable Internet connections, increased expectations of training among the employees, and challenges linked to coordination and collaboration between various organisations (see table 3).…”

Overview of Literature Relevant to Information and Communication Technology Based Healthcare Design in Rural China

“…For example, Vimarlund et al (2005) did economic analyses for ICT healthcare design. He declaimed that performing evaluations of ICT healthcare designs should be very specific about classic issues in economic analysis, such as defining alternatives, the basis for comparison, and combining different indicators into an overall evaluation.…”