Using integrated care to live happier, healthier lives: What do service providers need to know?

0​7 March 2023

As a nation we are living longer and we have the information to make healthier and better informed choices. However, having the right information is only the beginning. The next stage, which includes Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) and the greater adoption of technology, will provide significant direction on using this information in the right way to help our population live happier, healthier lives.

Gavin Bashar, UK Managing Director at Tunstall Healthcare, discusses why joining up health, housing and social care services is important, and the role that technology and ICSs can play in the integration of care.

The establishment of ICSs

Considering the crucial role of collaboration and how ICSs can help us to integrate services effectively is the next step in working to drive links between social care, primary care and wider community services.

As ICSs establish themselves, we will begin to see citizens become more engaged across the board from a care provision and technology perspective. This in turn will create a more connected and intelligent world that enables a collaborative approach to the delivery of an efficient, proactive and integrated system.

It’s also hoped that ICSs will contribute to a new kind of leadership that can deliver change and tighten up governance, while at the same time improving the working lives and motivation of employees and the physical and mental health and wellbeing of our population. The healthier our population becomes, and the more they learn about the benefits of technology, the more able we’ll be to give them a seat at the table and integrate our services.

Integration and technology

The integration of technology and its increased use have long been seen as a key part of transforming the health and care landscape. However, the system has been slow to adopt innovations. This is partly due to selecting, commissioning and implementing the right solutions becoming increasingly complex.

Investment in technology will help us to reconfigure and integrate our services. It’s important that service providers and citizens are involved in the digital transformation if we’re to innovate, embrace technology successfully, and deliver new approaches which create benefits for everyone.

By working closely with ICSs, technology providers will be better equipped to empower citizens, communities and the workforce and encourage investment in value-generating digital solutions. These can improve lives, join up stakeholders and connect our care services to ensure they are being deployed where and when they are most needed.

To find out more about the technology enabled care services available from Tunstall Healthcare, please visit www.tunstall.co.uk/technology-enabled-care.