Alston Healthcare Services
Alston Healthcare was setup to provide and test out new e-health services around Cumbria and Northumberland. Alston Healthcare is managed by Cybermoor and has led a number of innovative telehealth initiatives:
ActiveAdvice
The ActiveAdvice project was aimed at improving the knowledge and understanding of Active and Assisted Living (AAL) supported the development of Assisted Living Technology across Europe. The service offered a portal and network across Europe to advise people to make informed decisions about assisted living produces and services.
The project involved other European partners in Austria, Switzerland and The Netherlands.
https://www.activeadvice.eu/
PhysioDom-HDIM
The PhysioDom monitoring system was developed as an innovative ICT solution to enhance living conditions for senior citizens to help them stay healthy and active, as well as improving the efficiency and integration of health and social care systems. The system was based on a small French pilot, which successfully trialled the system in 50 homes.
The PhysioDom system monitored the blood pressure and pulse, as well as weight, lean/fat ratio, BMI and physical activity of over 100+ pilot users aged 65+. These users represented a combination of people who were inactive, in a state of pre-frailty or frail health, dependent and/or have chronic illnesses, such as heart failure, COPD, high blood pressure, or post chemotherapy treatment.
The system also included a lifestyle coaching system called Home Dietary Intake Monitoring (HDIM), which recommend and monitored a personalised dietary and physical exercise levels based on individual’s needs.
The project was run across the UK, Spain and The Netherlands and although each of the three countries have a different way of organising their health and social care and senior citizens receive different types of assistance, the same dietary intake monitoring will apply to all the participants in each of the pilot sites.
Breathe
The Breathe remote home monitoring system was aimed at people caring for a relative or friend with a long term condition, helping them to remain in their home, living as independently as possible, for as long as possible. The system used a mixture of sensors and cameras installed in the home to monitor daily living activities, such as use of kitchen appliances, movement around the home and leaving the house. It provided the carer with a live summary of the overall activity, including a heatmap of movement, which they could access remotely via the internet on their computer, tablet or smart phone. The system would send alerts to the carer if there was unusual activity and carers could even access a live camera feed in the event they have any serious concerns.
The programme aimed to create better living conditions for older adults and to develop commercial opportunities in Europe for new Information and Communications Technology (ICT) services. Other pilot projects were run in Spain, Ireland and Italy.
http://www.aal-europe.eu/projects/breathe/
Video links between hospitals
Alston Healthcare worked with Cumbria Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and Cumbria Health on Call (CHOC) to develop video links between community hospitals across Cumbria to reduce journeys for patients and ensure that they are treated closer to home. This can save valuable time and money for clinicians by allowing them to diagnose patients via the video links and advise on treatments.