Connected care at home. Click on the picture of the right column for a larger version. GRAPHICS: Jonas Askergren
Telia great now focusing on health services in the home.
– More than half of all Swedish households are connected home care within three to five years, says Niklas Sundler at Telia.
Stefan Lundström.
Niklas Sundler, business manager for Telia Healthcare, expect an explosion of the connected care home.
Connected care at home. Click image for larger version. GRAPHICS: Jonas Askergren
In our Telia is launching the country’s first subscriptions for online health services in the home. The idea is that the Swedes should be able to sit at home and measure everything from blood pressure and ECG weight and lung capacity. The information is automatically forwarded to a personal health account with Telia.
If the person so desires – but only then – sent health data to a medical center , a hospital or a relative. The information on the account is owned by the private individual, not by Telia.
Telia responsible for the health account as well as for security, privacy and communication.
For this, Telia wants to have a femtiolapp month. In some cases paid service of the municipality or county council, sometimes by the consumer himself. The subscription fee is not included measuring equipment in the home, such as the electronic wave or the smart bracelet.
Today there are an estimated 1000 people who use any type of online health care services in the home. Most are included in any of the ongoing pilot tests.
Care via the telephone network has been said about since the 1960s. From the beginning it was called telemedicine and use was primarily intended as an aid for people in rural areas. Nowadays the online health services are also intended for elderly care in the city and for the stressed toddlers parent who would rather take the blood sample from home than spend half a day at the health center.
Now is the time for the big breakthrough, says several new technologies have spoken to. Including Patrik Sundstrom, an expert on e-health at SKL, Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions.
– One explanation is the expansion of broadband and digitization of people home, he said.
He points to Västerås Municipality, which was an early single online health services in the home. Region Skåne is also in the forefront.
Others mentioned the fact that the measurement sensors come down in price and that people are accustomed to dealing with their smart mobiles. An aging population coupled with poor finances of local governments are also driving the trend.
Most optimistic about the development Telia, which expects that more than half of Sweden’s 4.6 million households are connected to health services in the home within three to five years. The Company estimates that the market then valued at “several billion dollars a year.”
– All customers will not be with us, but Our ambition is to be the largest player in Sweden, says Niklas Sundler, business manager for Telia Healthcare.
More than Telia want to make money on the connected health trend. The other telecom operators are also interested, as well as energy and security companies already offer online home services.
– But Telia is so far the most active player in Sweden, says Stefan Lundström, which analyzes the e-health consulting firm EY, Ernst & amp; Young.
He does not share Telia’s forecast of rapid development, but think it’s going to go “slightly” slower, because the decision processes local governments will take time.
Niklas Sundler agree that political decisions can take time, but believe that consumers are ready .
– Just look at developments since the Iphone. Many have tested smart bracelet and services Runkeeper. Therefore, we believe that many will be willing to self-pay for health services, he said.
One of Telia’s role models is the Danish telecom operator TDC, which since 2007 provides online health services. Their development we describe in the article to the right.
What drives operators, Telia and TDC, to invest in health services is declining revenue from traditional voice calls and data communications.
The focus is thus fully in line with the new strategy Telia’s new CEO Johan Lind He announced last year .
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