Remote Assistance for Home Care Workers: Concept and Technical Implementation at a Glance.

Abstract

Long-term care faces severe challenges on the supply (shortages of formal and informal carers) as well as on the demand side (increasing number of care-dependent people). To cope with these challenges, new forms of support for the professional care network are needed. This paper describes the concept and implementation of a Remote Care Assist (RCA) service, consisting of a web-application for the Care Expert Center (CXC) and Remote Support (RS) applications for the HoloLens 2 as well as for Android and iOS smartphones. Using the evidence-based and user-centred innovation process (EUIP), a Remote Care Assist service was conceptualized and implemented for home care service settings in three European countries. After five iterations within two phases of the EUIP, the final feature set of the RCA-service was determined and implemented. By working closely with the target group, it was possible to identify potential hurdles and additional requirements such as a well-thought-out interaction concept for the HoloLens or a good organizational embedding of the service.