Adult Social Care Glossary, v 0.6

A general term that describes all technology that is involved in the video and phone connection between patients and clinicians.

The use of sensors and equipment to monitor and report on the health of people in their own homes

Telehealth is the use of electronic sensors or equipment that monitor people's health in their own home/communities. So, for example equipment to monitor vital signs such as blood pressure, blood oxygen levels or weight. These measures are then automatically transmitted to a clinician who can observe health status without the person leaving their home environment. The clinician monitors daily readings to look for trends that could indicate deterioration in condition.

Technology that sends information about your health to your doctor from your home, to help manage long-term conditions such as diabetes or chronic heart failure. Things like your temperature or blood pressure can be measured and the information sent via telephone line or broadband to a telehealth monitoring centre, where it is checked against information from your doctor. It means any problems can be picked up before they become urgent, and allows your doctor to monitor you in between appointments. It is also known as telepractice.

There is widespread confusion over the specific meanings of terms used in the Care Technology sector (Telecare, Tech Enabled Care, Care Tech, Assistive Tech, Telehealth, Telemedicine etc). There is an urgent need for a clear set of definitions covering (a) the different types of care tech (reactive vs preventative/predictive), (b) the distinction between technological products and physical aids, (c) the level of proactive input required from the care recipient.