# How can Technology Impact Public Health Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2021-09-14 Category: TECHNOLOGY Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/technology Meta Title: Technology's Impact on Public Health in the UK Meta Description: Discover the role of technology in transforming health and care services in England and enabling the UK to lead in public health management. URL: https://financedigest.com/how-can-technology-impact-public-healthhtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/man-using-digital-device-make-payments-online-shopping-and-icon-customer-network-conne-sbi-301985343-1736837894958-compressed.jpg) ![Zillah Moore, Director at Tunstall Healthcare](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/zillah-moore-450x394-1736837894904-compressed.jpg) _By_ **_Zillah Moore,_** _Director at_ [_Tunstall Healthcare_](http://www.tunstall.co.uk) _, discusses the role of technology in impacting public health and enabling the UK to become a global leader in public health management._ Health and care services in England are in urgent need of reform. Even before the Covid-19 pandemic swept the world, an ageing population and the impact of austerity meant the pressures on our systems were close to breaking point. The pandemic continues to have an extraordinary impact on our health and social care services, and public health. These effects will last long after the effects of the pandemic have subsided. The investment in and deployment of technology is crucial to enable the NHS and social care to build on current digital-enabled transformation, [support better public health](https://www.financedigest.com/supporting-your-employees-mental-health-wfh.html "Supporting Your Employees Mental Health WFH") management, and enable the UK to become a global leader in public health. **Covid-19 and digitisation** Covid-19 has accelerated the digital transformation of health and social care, and highlighted the positive [impact that this can have on public health](https://www.financedigest.com/the-impact-of-debt-on-your-health-and-what-you-can-do-about-it.html "The Impact of Debt On Your Health, And What You Can Do About It"). There is now an increasing acceptance and perceived usefulness by the [public of the role technology](https://www.financedigest.com/why-its-time-to-centralise-public-sector-technology.html "Why it’s time to centralise public sector technology") plays in service provision and the management of our health. Whether it’s the use of virtual care platforms, remote monitoring solutions, communication tools, digital apps or sophisticated data platforms, our [services are entering a new phase of digital](https://www.financedigest.com/maximising-ai-during-digital-transformation-in-the-financial-services-sector.html "Maximising AI during digital transformation in the financial services sector") maturity. The [pandemic has exposed several challenges and flaws but none more pressing than widening health](https://www.financedigest.com/explainer-how-the-world-health-organization-might-fight-future-pandemics.html "Explainer-How the World Health Organization might fight future pandemics") inequalities. An increasing effort is needed to ensure the [widening gap](https://www.financedigest.com/using-technology-to-help-bridge-the-widening-financial-advice-gap.html "Using technology to help bridge the widening financial advice gap") is reduced. Intelligent use of actionable [data and personalised services](https://www.financedigest.com/three-ways-the-data-cloud-can-keep-financial-services-competitive.html "Three Ways the Data Cloud Can Keep Financial Services Competitive") will give patients and service users the chance to be offered solutions that will be more accessible and convenient to them. Smart [solutions and technology](https://www.financedigest.com/peppermint-technology-revamps-communications-with-via-voice-solution.html "PEPPERMINT TECHNOLOGY REVAMPS COMMUNICATIONS WITH VIA VOICE SOLUTION") enabled care (TECS) help to protect the safety of individuals, especially where people are particularly frail or at risk of falls. The use of [technology can provide 24 hour reassurance and enables care service providers to deliver](https://www.financedigest.com/you-cant-get-faster-than-that-spring-statement-update-delivered-digitally-as-it-happens-with-app-driven-technology.html "‘You Can’t Get Faster Than That’ – Spring Statement Update Delivered Digitally As It Happens with App-driven technology") care safely and efficiently. Clinicians benefit from securing [improved access to patients in their homes](https://www.financedigest.com/improving-your-home-with-smart-automation.html "Improving Your Home with Smart Automation") through remote patient monitoring (RPM), providing holistic and real time patient insight. This enables preventative care as stakeholders are better placed to monitor vulnerable individuals, identifying potentially adverse events quickly, mitigating their [effects and preventing](https://www.financedigest.com/technology-preventing-minor-regulation-causing-major-problems-the-butterfly-effect.html "Technology Preventing Minor Regulation Causing Major Problems: The Butterfly effect") the need for more complex interventions. This not only reduces the pressure on our [health and social care systems](https://www.financedigest.com/health-care-systems-show-moderate-decrease-in-liability-claims-find-correlation-between-worker-safety-and-patient-safety.html "Health Care Systems Show Moderate Decrease in Liability Claims, Find Correlation Between Worker Safety and Patient Safety"), but it also reduces costs for care providers and the public. **The benefits of TECS** The TEC Services Association conducted an evaluation across 39 councils which identified average annual savings of £1,163 gross/£890 net per TECs user1. This was typically split 70 percent cost avoidance and 30 percent cashable savings1. Clearly, there are significant cost [benefits to investing in such technology](https://www.financedigest.com/five-industries-benefiting-from-multi-carrier-sim-technology.html "Five Industries Benefiting from Multi-Carrier SIM Technology"), both in the short and longer term. Many people want to continue living independently and safely for as long as possible, with the reassurance that care and [support will be provided when needed](https://www.financedigest.com/banks-need-to-digitise-financial-wellbeing-support-to-help-young-people-manage-through-this-recession.html "Banks need to digitise financial wellbeing support to help young people manage through this recession"). [Technology is widely seen as a way to address this challenge](https://www.financedigest.com/five-technology-challenges-that-are-holding-back-legal-innovation.html "Five technology challenges that are holding back legal innovation"), enabling the provision of high quality care to an ageing and post-pandemic population. **RPM in practice** Bolton NHS Foundation Trust and Bolton Clinical Commissioning Group invested in remote patient monitoring, combined with multi disciplinary teams,  for 34 of the area’s care homes to protect residents, [staff and clinicians during and beyond the COVID](https://www.financedigest.com/ubs-gives-hong-kong-staff-covid-quarantine-cash-memo.html "UBS gives Hong Kong staff COVID quarantine cash -memo") crisis. Where care staff have concerns about the health of a resident they can use a tablet to record their vital signs and help them to answer questions about their health and symptoms. The remote monitoring approach has supported the Trust and CCG during the pandemic, but will enable the provision of more proactive care over the longer term, as early intervention avoids the need for more complex care and improves outcomes, [reducing pressure on primary and secondary care services](https://www.financedigest.com/four-tips-to-help-reduce-employee-ghosting-in-financial-services.html "Four tips to help reduce employee ghosting in financial services"). Building on the [technological progress made during COVID-19 will give more people the freedom to live](https://www.financedigest.com/how-technology-has-changed-our-lives.html "How Technology has Changed Our Lives") where they choose, and ensure much-needed medical and social care resources are channelled to the areas that need them most. **Looking ahead** A healthcare system fit for the [21st century](https://www.financedigest.com/taking-the-pain-out-of-payments-for-the-21st-century-worker.html "TAKING THE PAIN OUT OF PAYMENTS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY WORKER") must have digital innovation at its core. As innovative [technology continues to transform every](https://www.financedigest.com/legislate-raises-3-6m-to-give-startups-smes-the-technology-to-query-and-compare-every-contract.html "Legislate raises .6M to give startups & SMEs the technology to query and compare every contract") aspect of modern life, there is a growing body of evidence demonstrating the impact this is having on population health and wellbeing.  Where it has not already done so, digitisation is [set to touch every corner of health](https://www.financedigest.com/investment-in-mental-health-amongst-cybersecurity-professionals-set-to-increase-according-to-infosecurity-europe-poll.html "Investment in mental health amongst cybersecurity professionals set to increase according to Infosecurity Europe poll") and social care, and open new frontiers for practice. If [digital is to be placed](https://www.financedigest.com/the-evolution-of-loyalty-and-its-place-in-the-digital-age.html "THE EVOLUTION OF LOYALTY AND ITS PLACE IN THE DIGITAL AGE") at the heart of service transformation, patients must be engaged with services through access to their own health data and the digital tools to drive their own care. By empowering patients to be co-creators of their own health, they can be reframed as informed decision makers as opposed to passive recipients of care. Citizens must, therefore, be [engaged with the development](https://www.financedigest.com/payment-community-engagement-in-the-development-of-the-emv-specifications-increases.html "Payment Community Engagement in the Development of the EMV Specifications Increases") of new forms of digital- and data-enabled healthcare. To [drive the  vision for a highly personalised care](https://www.financedigest.com/digitized-escalation-to-drive-the-respiratory-care-devices-market.html "Digitized escalation to drive the Respiratory Care Devices Market") model to allow more older and vulnerable people to live independently for longer, Tunstall is now on track to deliver a new intelligent care service called Cognitive Care. This service uses advanced AI to detect whether someone’s health could be about to deteriorate, spot a potentially undiagnosed condition, or to help them resolve an immediate social care need. Taking data from multiple sources, including motion sensors, smartphones, wearables and recordings,it will provide a clear picture of the [risks someone faces](https://www.financedigest.com/euro-zone-economy-faces-growing-risk-of-recession-survey-shows.html "Euro zone economy faces growing risk of recession, survey shows") and ‘nudge’ them or their caregivers to respond, or alert a professional. Cognitive Care is the next step in the evolution of Tunstall’s predictive care technology, which uses data from at-home monitoring devices to spot worrying changes in behaviour and suggest the most appropriate course of action It is [designed to improve quality of life](https://www.financedigest.com/london-boroughs-brought-to-life-in-stunning-illustrated-bathroom-designs.html "London Boroughs brought to life in stunning illustrated bathroom designs") for more people, while reducing the number of GP visits, ambulance callouts, hospital admissions and demand for local authority-funded residential care. The UK health and care system finds itself at an [opportune moment to capitalise on digital](https://www.financedigest.com/digital-payments-an-explosion-of-emerging-opportunities.html "Digital Payments: An Explosion of Emerging Opportunities") progress that will likely never again accelerate so quickly. It’s time for the [sector to continue what it has begun over the past year and fully commit to a healthy future](https://www.financedigest.com/2020-the-paradoxical-year-that-has-reshaped-the-future-of-motor-insurance-and-related-sectors.html "2020: The paradoxical year that has reshaped the future of motor insurance and related sectors") with digital reform at its core. For more information on available technology and how it can impact public health, please visit [www.tunstall.co.uk](http://www.tunstall.co.uk). --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---