This survey has now been closed. The report will be published in Summer 2022.
This page includes links to the survey, background about the study and a glossary of terms.
How to Complete the Questionnaire
Start the provider survey* or Start the supplier survey**
*This is the Telecare Provider version of the questionnaire - it should be completed by Councils, Trusts, Housing Associations, Charities, etc that are responsible for commissioning / delivering telecare services.
**This is the Telecare Supplier version of the questionnaire - it should be completed by organisations that sell telecare equipment or services
This questionnaire seeks to obtain information on your awareness and planning for the digital shift of telephone services and their impact on telecare. It also asks for details of your current and planned solutions and arrangements for:
- Telecare Alarm Receiving Centre (or monitoring centre);
- Equipment in homes and residences used to deliver telecare services.
Typically, the questionnaire takes approximately 25 minutes to complete. Please complete the survey by 22 October 2021.
Your data will be stored and processed in accordance with GDPR. By participating in this survey, you agree that the data you provide will be shared by FarrPoint with NHSX, the Local Government Association and their Care & Health Improvement Programme (CHIP) digital support partner, Rethink Partners Limited. In addition, anonymised and summary-level versions of the data collected will be included in a study report which will be published by NHSX.
If you have any questions on how to complete the questionnaire, or how the data provided will be used, please contact: [email protected]
Background
NHSX, a joint unit of the Department of Health & Social Care and NHS England & Improvement with a focus on digital development, has commissioned technology consultancy, FarrPoint, to complete a study into the impact on England’s telecare services of the move of the telephone network to digital technology. This move is referred to as the ‘digital shift’ in this questionnaire but can also be called the digital switchover, Voice over IP (VoIP), or Public Switched Telephone Network, PSTN, switch off.
This digital shift will see the move of the UK’s telephone networks, including the telephony lines into homes and businesses, from analogue technology to digital (or Internet Protocol, IP) technology. The move has already commenced and is currently scheduled to be complete by 2025.
The digital shift brings a range of benefits, for example the potential for faster and cheaper Internet services, however, it can also impact the reliability of equipment that uses older analogue technologies, this includes some telecare equipment. Unlike analogue phone lines, digital lines rely on mains power in the home for their operation, which can also be an issue for telecare service availability.
The aim of NHSX is to ensure that the care sector is ready for these changes. This study will ensure NHSX can develop appropriate guidance and supportive tools to the sector, if required. By participating in this work, you will be supporting the sector by ensuring guidance and tools are based on up to date information. The study report will share best practice and will allow telecare providers to understand the current state of their digital shift planning in comparison with other providers.
The aims of the study are to better understand:
- The impact the digital shift will have on telecare services, equipment and marketplace;
- The current level of planning and preparedness for the digital shift;
- The opportunities and challenges associated with the digital shift;
- Any additional guidance that can be provided to assist organisations when making the shift.
To obtain a full understanding of the impact of the digital shift we are asking a range of telecare stakeholders to complete a survey that addresses the above topics. This includes all telecare providers in England, as well as commercial organisations offering telecare equipment and services. Specifically, we were interested in gathering information on:
- Telecare Alarm Receiving Centre (or monitoring centre) equipment, solutions and services;
- Equipment in homes and residences used to deliver telecare services.
We would be grateful if you could support this study by providing information on your organisation and telecare equipment/services.
Terminology
The terminology used to describe telecare services and the solutions and technology used to deliver them can vary between organisations. Within the questionnaire the terminology used is as follows:
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Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC): Also referred to as a monitoring centre. In the event of a telecare alarm device detecting an event an alert is sent to an alarm receiving centre. Staff at the centre will receive the alerts and can speak to the service users, and arrange an appropriate response, as required.
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Analogue telecare: Telecare equipment and solutions that communicate using signalling sent as audible tones over a phone line. See definition of Digital Telecare for comparison.
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Analogue to digital convertor: Also known as an Analogue Terminal Adaptor or ATA. A device that allows an analogue device, such as a telecare alarm, or a fax machine, using analogue signalling protocols to be connected to a digital (or IP) telephone line.
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Digital ready: The term is used to refer to a telecare device that can communicate using a digital telecare protocol. This includes devices that support both analogue and digital protocols. This does NOT include analogue alarm devices connected to an analogue terminal adaptor (ATA).
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Digital telecare: Telecare equipment and solutions that communicate using signalling sent as digital messages (also known as Internet Protocol) over a data network, for example, the Internet. See definition of Analogue Telecare for comparison.
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Dispersed telecare equipment/alarm: Telecare alarm equipment that supports a single service user or household (see definition of grouped scheme for comparison).
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Grouped scheme solution: Telecare alarm equipment that provides services to multiple service users or residences in the specialist social housing and private housing sectors – for example in a sheltered/retirement housing for older adults supported living or a facility for people with learning disability or autism.
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Grouped scheme: A communal living facility, for example, sheltered/retirement housing, almshouse or assisted living/extra care housing or supported housing facility.
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In home: “In home” is used to refer to a service user’s home, or a home-like setting, for example, residential or sheltered accommodation.
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Service user: A person being provided with a telecare service.
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Telecare alarm call: The alert a telecare alarm sends to the Alarm Receiving Centre in the event of a sensor or trigger being activated.
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Telecare alarm device: Equipment installed in a service user’s home to provide a telecare service. The alarm device can send alerts to an Alarm Receiving Centre in the event of one of the sensors or triggers (also known as peripherals) connected to it being activated.
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Telecare: Also referred to as community alarms, social alarms, or warden call systems. A variety of equipment installed in a person’s home or home-like setting to remotely monitor their wellbeing and help them live independently. A range of sensors can be used to detect events such as a fall, fire, flood, or unusual activity. If an event is detected, the equipment sends an alert to an Alarm Receiving Centre where staff can arrange an appropriate response.
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Telehealth: Technology used to remotely monitor health conditions and/or provide advice on condition management.
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Telephone digital shift: The move of the UK’s telephone networks, including the telephony lines into homes and businesses, from analogue technology to digital (or Internet Protocol, IP) technology. The move has already commenced and is currently scheduled to be complete by 2025. The digital shift can also be called the digital switchover, the move from analogue to digital, Voice over IP (VoIP), all IP, or PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) switch off.
About FarrPoint
Find out about FarrPoint's areas of expertise, including technology-enabled care and digital telecare consulting.
