 |
 |
The RAATE conference is coming up on the 5th December. That would seem to be as good a place as anywhere to have an ad-hoc meeting of interested/concerned parties. Perhaps you could get together after the end of the conference, although I realise people will have trains/planes to catch, etc. Just a thought, Geoff. In a message dated 26/10/2005 17:52:41 GMT Daylight Time, [log in to unmask] writes: Jeremy I share your concerns especially the one about being hung. :) There is little doubt that things need to be brought back to an individualised needs led approach. Guy At 18:09 26/10/2005, you wrote: I am probably going to be hung, drawn and quartered for saying this but consequent to the publishing of these various related telecare strategies, there has sprung up a veritable industry of consultancies offering enterprise-wide implementation solutions. Suddenly all the specialist expertise appears to be focussed on mangement-level rather than client implementation issues - cart before horse or what!!!!!! I have a real concern that there are significant conflicts of interest developing here and that the needs of the severely disabled, in particular, are going to be lost in the process. I really feel that the AT commmunity has to mobilise, big-time, and get the focus back onto individual client needs and aspirations. Jeremy > I can't decide whether to get het up or not about the (deliberate?) > restriction of the term assistive technology to describe the bits of > kit the government currently find sexy and, unlike most AT, an easy > pill to swallow. > > In 2001 FAST worked with a wide coalition of groups to agree on a > definition which could accommodate old and new forms of technology > (from bath hoists to virtual reality tools) and encompass new service > models (such as remote support using telecare) without requiring > amendment to any associated legislation or regulation. In deciding not > to use this (admittedly) wide definition which has an emphasis on > independence I wonder whether it is not more profitable to see what > government reveals by its determination to use a health-centric > definition. > > My conclusion is that 1) the department of health is struggling to > maintain an overview and strategy in relation to assistive technology > 2) is concerned that if the magic pill of telecare/ telehealth is put > into the obvious context of assistive technology then it will be > forced to consider issues such as workforce development (specifically > national occupational standards) which are required by the whole AT > industry, and 3) is talking to manufacturers and suppliers who do not > want to position telecare as one element of an independence > infrastructure which must be integrated with other AT services and > sustainable over time. Where is the professional body or coalition of > voluntary sector organisations who is raising these issues? > > While there is some concern about the Department's confusion/ > confusing misuse of the term assistive technology, I'm even more > concerned about the attitudes and lack of knowledge that lies behind > it. > > What to do though? I'm not sure. > > Keren Down, FAST > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Judge Simon > To: [log in to unmask] > Sent: Wednesday, October 26, 2005 9:05 AM > Subject: Re: EAT Sidelined again > > > Interesting - I had a brief email or two with one of the authors > regarding AT and if (what we define as) AT software was relevant to > their report. I hypothesised that it should be. > > Their opinion was that it wasn't and that they had a different > definition of AT > > "as in the Audit Commission Report "Assistive Technology - > Independence and well-being" and is closely associated with Telecare > in the home." > > I argued that Telecare was a subset of AT, not t'other way around - > the 'version' of AT that they were interested in for the report was > > "that sub-set of Assistive Technology which assists healthcare > delivery or decreases or postpones the need for healthcare. " > > I'll have a read... > > Cheers > > Simon > > Clinical Scientist > ACT > 0121 627 1627 ex 53245 > > -----Original Message----- > From: A discussion list for Assistive Technology professionals. > [_ mailto:[log in to unmask] (mailto:[log in to unmask]) ] On Behalf Of Gary Derwent Sent: 25 > October 2005 20:47 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: EAT > Sidelined again > > > I was disappointed to see that a recent report entitled "The Impact > of e-Health and Assistive Technologies on Healthcare" did not seem > to mention communication aids, environmental controls or nearly > anything else that I think people on this list would consider > Assistive Technologies. (I say 'didn't seem to' because I haven't > yet waded through the entire 75 page tome, but a quick electronic > search of the pdf document didn't throw anything up. > > Admittedly the group that produced the report is predominantly from > a Health Informatics perspective but it still annoys me to see the > term assistive technology used without mention of AAC or EC. Yet > again the telecare agenda obliterates everything else. > > Also, on an extensive list of contributers in the appendix, only two > names were vaguely familiar to me from the EAT world. I'm going to > contact the authors to let them know what I think. I've got half a > toe in the Health Informatics world myself and generally think it's > a great field, but they've made a pigs ear of this one. > > Anyway,...I just felt like a rant after leafing through it...thanks > for listening !!! > > If you'd like a look its here : > > _http://www.health-informatics.org/tehip/tehipstudy.htm_ (http://www.health-informatics.org/tehip/tehipstudy.htm) > > Cheers > > Gary > > > Gary Derwent > Compass Electronic Assistive Technology Service > Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability > > -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.1.361 / Virus Database: 267.12.5/149 - Release Date: 25/10/2005 Guy Dewsbury Research Associate Computing Department InfoLab 21, South Drive, Lancaster University, Lancaster. LA1 4WA, UK Tel: +44 (0) 01524 510351 (Office) +44 (0) 7752-892735 (Mobile) Fax: +44 (0) 1524 593608 [log in to unmask] _www.smartthinking.ukideas.com_ (http://www.smartthinking.ukideas.com/) No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.1.361 / Virus Database: 267.12.5/149 - Release Date: 25/10/2005