Ethicted (evaluation process model to improve personalised ICT services for independent living and active ageing)--future scenario

• Published in: Studies in health technology and informatics Vol. 189; p. 50
• Main Authors: Kärki, Anne, Sävel, Jaana, Sallinen, Merja, Kuusinen, Jere
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands 2013
• Subjects: Assisted Living Facilities - ethics; Delivery of Health Care - ethics; European Union; Health Services for the Aged - ethics; Home Care Services; Humans; Independent Living - ethics; Medical Informatics Applications; Medical Records Systems, Computerized - ethics; Monitoring, Ambulatory - ethics; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Systems Integration; Telemedicine
• ISSN: 0926-9630
• DOI: 10.3233/978-1-61499-268-4-50

ICT innovations are constantly developed, and there is no lack of elderly customers, as the number of the elderly is dramatically increasing. Elderly are willing to use ICT to increase their own safety and social activity, but they need trust on the reliability, accessibility and other ethical aspects of ICT including the maintenance of privacy and self-determination. Ethical standards for ICT are usually not considered. "Ethicted" characterizes an ICT service or product as ethically evaluated. As a standardized procedure, it will not only increase the acceptability of ICT, but also provide services for ICT developers. In the future scenario, ICT under development should be evaluated by using a process model that is specifically built to find the lacks in ethical aspects. The model would then be tested by end-users, the formal and informal care givers, to receive direct feedback for redeveloping solutions. As final outcomes, there should be standards for ICT in elderly care and a service for ICT developers to utilize the evaluation model. This future scenario work included partners from 6 EU member countries. The combination of academic research and industrial/commercial interest of ICT developers should and can bring new value to assistive ICT for elderly care.