The challenge

In home-delivered services, the everyday work of care staff and the client’s safety are supported by a number of different technology solutions. The most common solutions include safety phones, medication dispensers, video connections and various sensors. The risk related to the adequacy of electricity supply and interruptions in internet connections has increased significantly, at the same time as the number of devices is growing rapidly.

The data produced by the devices is stored in each manufacturer’s own backend system, and viewing this data simultaneously requires the nurse to log into several different systems with different username–password combinations. This creates technical challenges that consume the nurse’s working time, which should not be spent dealing with technical issues. Not all nurses have had access to all the information produced by the different systems either. For data security reasons, the information has been limited and available only to certain professional groups. At the same time, keeping the device inventory up to date requires manual work when updating which client has which device. In problem situations where internet connections or electricity distribution fail and this affects a large number of technical assistive devices, nurses have not known which clients are affected.

The solution

With Gillie’s IoT platform, all the data produced by the devices can be gathered into a single view for the care staff. On the platform, data from the devices can be combined and visualised, and it can also be forwarded to other solutions through open interfaces. Because the IoT platform can also be connected to the patient information system, it can automatically maintain an up-to-date device register. From the device register, the care staff can see which client has which devices and how many different devices they are using. From the register, a nurse can quickly see which devices the clients in their own area have and, in the event of a major disruption, can quickly decide which clients require a physical home visit due to the technical issues. When a device is recorded as being in use for a client in the patient information system, it automatically appears in the device register as well. When the service ends, the device is automatically removed from the register.

About the customer

The Wellbeing Services County of South Karelia (Etelä-Karjalan hyvinvointialue) is responsible for organizing social and health care as well as rescue services for about 130,000 residents in nine municipalities in South Karelia, Finland. It operates as a joint municipal authority, bringing together hospitals, primary care, family and social services, and services for older people to provide equal and accessible support throughout residents’ lives. With roughly 5,000–10,000 employees, the county works to promote wellbeing, safety and functional capacity in the region in close cooperation with local partners.