In line with the health policy goal of “outpatient before inpatient”, several organisations in Austria, including Salzburg Research, have joined forces to strengthen the possibilities of home care with digital technologies. With the TeleCareHub, they will realise a new hub for telecare over the next four years.

In Austria, about 116,000 people care for a family member with dementia at home. The associated overload is often recognised too late or suppressed for too long, and relief offers are not sufficiently accepted by all population groups.

In the Austrian lead project TeleCareHub, technology-supported offers are being developed for people in need of care, caring relatives and care service providers. On the one hand, those seeking help should quickly get an overview of existing technical care and support services and receive customised digital support.

App on prescription as a Future prospects

In the future perspective of telecare in Austria, an “app on prescription” is envisaged. A digital health application is being developed and prepared for certification as a medical product. It integrates already existing telesystems with new functions tailored to the needs of the users.

A two-year field study will assess the impact of the new digital health application on the care situation and on the health and quality of life of those affected. The project consortium will also develop recommendations for relieving the burden on informal caregivers, identify barriers to technology acceptance among people with and without a migration background and derive recommendations for reducing mistrust of ICT solutions.

The role of Salzburg Research

Salzburg Research is significantly entrusted with the requirements and acceptance analysis for the overall system and supports the implementation.

TeleCareHub is funded as an Austrian lead project in the FFG programme “benefit” by the Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (BMK).

Website: www.telecarehub.at