HSC Technology Group
Simplifying Elderly Patient Care with IoT

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oday, as COVID-19 continues to disrupt every business sector, industry leaders and forward-thinking executives are seeking next-gen technology capable of aiding them in transforming their operations to cope with the pandemic. Compared to all the industries, the healthcare sector is the one that is most affected. With strict social distancing measures in place, hospitals and caregiving facilities are now shifting their emphasis on the deployment of telehealth and remote patient engagement solutions. However, as these solutions are primarily designed for tech-savvy users, medical institutions and aged care providers who specialize in the treatment and care of geriatric residents are struggling to effectively reap the benefits of deploying innovative patient care solutions. Addressing this challenge with its IoT-based resident engagement system is Australia-based HSC Technology Group. “As aging residents are not accustomed to modern, tech-driven devices, we offer a smart solution that uses a television, which is a technology familiar to older individuals, for delivering care,” says Graham Russell, managing director of HSC Technology Group (“HSC”).

The company’s resident engagement system comprises a set-top box, remote control with a microphone and speaker, as well as a camera that can be plugged to the top of any television set. HSC’s resident engagement tool runs on Android OS and seamlessly integrates with customer-grade offerings such as Comcast, Firestick, and more. Furthermore, to enhance the engagement levels, the company provides a customizable entertainment module with content preferred by the resident. The module comprises leading streaming services alongside radio, audiobooks, and podcasts. HSC also has an enterprise-grade remote device management system that facilitates users to call in and request content directly.

On the other hand, as HSC’s solution leverages AWS, its clients can efficiently scale the deployment of the resident engagement system and simplify communication between a resident and their caregivers. “A doctor can directly get in touch with the resident through TV; all a user has to do is press OK to turn on the camera and start their consultation session,” states Russell. And to take this process a step further, the company has developed IoT-powered devices in collaboration with leading medtech providers, which the resident can simply place on their bodies to enable the remote measurement of their vital signs.

With these capabilities, the company enables caregivers to send messages to their residents on their TVs as overlayed messages, which are much easier for the users to comprehend. “For instance, healthcare providers can seamlessly send notifications for medication and vitals assessment across their facility easily, cost-effectively, and most importantly, safely,” adds Russell. At the same time, the company’s solution has embedded a calendar feature that delivers a resident’s daily, weekly, and monthly medical schedule that updates in real-time in tandem with the changes in the real-world care giving workflow. Alternatively, the company white labels its offerings to firms in the healthcare sector, which includes comprehensive customizability with respect to the development of branding, logos, colors, and more.

From a portfolio standpoint, HSC plans to develop a resident engagement system that can act like an intelligent home solution with sensors to track and assess the vital signs of a resident continually and in real-time. This will complement the company’s existing range of Smart Care and Smart Home solutions. In addition, the gathered patient data can then be run through data analytics, which will allow medical practitioners gain critical insights on a user’s condition. “With this system, we are trying to shift the approach of caregiving from reactive to proactive and assist healthcare providers detect and intervene before emergencies,” concludes Russell.