The concept of welfare technology in Swedish municipal eldercare

Figures & data

Table 1. The open-ended questions.

Areas of open-ended questions	Questions
The concept of welfare technology	What do you include in the concept of welfare technology?
Advantages and potentials of welfare technology	According to you, under what circumstances is welfare technology superior or even more reliable than humans? What kind of potential and advantages do you perceive with welfare technology?
Barriers to using welfare technology	What kind of barriers do you perceive in using welfare technology at work? What kind of problems do you perceive related to exploring or buying welfare technology?
Evaluation methods	Do you evaluate welfare technology? If yes, how do you evaluate welfare technology?

Table 2. Themes and sub-themes.

Themes	Sub-themes
The concept of welfare technology	Welfare technology as an enabler for the individual and for the healthcare provider Welfare technology as a simplifier Welfare technology that increases and/or maintains the quality of life for care receivers Different kinds of technology
Advantages and potential of welfare technologies	Increased reliability and safety Increased quality of care for care receivers Increased efficiency for caregivers
Barriers to using welfare technology	Resistance to change Lack of funding Lack of supporting evidence or proof Lack of infrastructure Difficulties with procurement Uncertainties about responsibility and laws High staff turnover Proponents of welfare technology leaving their position
Evaluation methods	Lack of evaluations Implement technologies used by other municipalities and those evaluated elsewhere Strategy for evaluation and implementation Methods depending on the technology and the project

Table 3. Professional affiliation of the respondents (n = 393).

Professional affiliation	Responses
Nurse (specialist within dementia care)	13%
Nurse (chief responsible for medical)	19.8%
Nurse (chief responsible for rehabilitation)	7.1%
Occupational Therapist /Physiotherapist)	26.2%
Unit manager	26.2%
eHealth/IT strategist	7.4%
Sex (n: 393)
Female	85.7%
Male	14.3%

Table 4. Examples of welfare technologies that were mentioned by the majority of respondents.

Welfare technology	Objectives
Surveillance cameras	Replaces physical visits with digital surveillance. The cameras can be used for digital visits during the day or night.
Key-free locks	Enables the home help staff to open different homes with their mobile phones; in this way they do not have to drive and retrieve keys if the round or visit schedule changes.
GPS alarms	Allows care staff to see the location of a care receiver.
Virtual doctors	Medical opinions or medical examination via video links; the patient does not have to leave her home to get a medical opinion.
Security safety bracelet with sensors	Analyses the movement patterns and can warn if there is an increased risk for falls; the technology is believed to help prevent accidents and can raise an alarm so that personnel can quickly aid the care receiver in case of a fall.
Mobile access to journals	Enables home help staff digital access to the patient’s journal on their smart phones so they do not have to drive back and forth to an office for documentation or bring paper lists.
Digital signing of medications and drugs	Replaces paper lists and provides a digital notification if any action has not been carried out.
e-services	Enables digital communication with healthcare providers.