Smart applications support sustainable health care

Efficient, decentralised and yet close to the patient. Smart applications can help to improve medical care for people in their own homes. How? VDE, ZVEH and ZVEI present potential solutions at the "House of Smart Living" from 1 to 5 September 2023 at IFA (Hall 2.2).

It is no longer possible to imagine a car without assistance systems. Now these systems are also making their way into people's homes and ensuring that senior citizens, people with disabilities or the chronically ill feel safer in their own homes and that their relatives can sleep better knowing that help will be there quickly in an emergency. For example, the House of Smart Living shows various applications that are networked via KNX technology - for example, a sensor floor with fall detection and emergency call function, automatically lowerable wardrobes, a self-learning, AI-controlled voice control system and a breathing air measurement system for diabetes patients. But other technologies can also actively promote the health and well-being of building users. For example, "human-centric lighting" (HCL) can support the natural rhythm of the day or ventilation technology can reduce the CO2 content in the air we breathe. Both contribute to improving concentration.

These smart applications in buildings from the "health" sector can support care and well-being "at home". For sustainable healthcare, however, it is necessary to make medical applications available outside of hospitals and practices. In order to achieve this, the healthcare system requires increased digitisation and networking. By securely sharing relevant information, medical staff can diagnose patients more quickly and tailor therapies better to the needs of patients. Remote regions also benefit: Telemedicine gives them access to modern and efficient care. In addition, healthcare has become more efficient through intelligent technologies, thereby saving costs and helping to keep the health system affordable in the long term.

A look at demographics shows that this is essential: the shortage of skilled workers is particularly apparent in medical and nursing professions, and many employees suffer from overwork. The costs for health care are rising. The demographic change will further aggravate the situation: according to figures from the Statistisches Bundesamt 25 percent of Germans (20.4 million people) will be older than 67 in 2033.

Voices from the associations

"We welcome and encourage developments in telemedicine and smart health applications," says Sven Öhrke, Member of the Executive Board at the VDE Institute. "Especially in this sensitive area, the safety of applications and systems is of great importance. With the standardisation, testing and certification of health products through to medical software, we ensure that the applications can be used safely. In this context, the interoperability and data security of systems have a special significance."

"Demographic change calls for new solutions - this is not only the case in the area of skilled workers, but also where medical and nursing care is concerned. A digital infrastructure, smart applications and innovative products can make an important contribution here. The number of smart health applications will rise sharply and enable us to guarantee efficient and sustainable healthcare in the future, despite all the challenges," says ZVEH CEO Alexander Neuhäuser.

"With the help of smart technology, people will be able to live longer in their familiar surroundings despite health restrictions. However, this also requires end-to-end digitalised healthcare that intelligently networks doctors' surgeries, hospitals, and private living spaces. Medical care must not end at the door of the hospital or doctor's office. The BMG's digital strategy and the plans for e-prescription and digital patient files can only be the first steps here," says Hans-Peter Bursig, Director of the Health Division at ZVEI.