Alarm wristwatch saved grandmother

"We need to 'think new'," says Elvira Goebel from the Health and Consumer Protection Directorate-General of the European Commission about the use of technology to develop better health systems for the elderly people in the population. Photo: Jan Fredrik Frantzen, NST.

"An elderly woman tripped and fell in her own home. She fainted, and lay immobile on the floor. Thanks to a watch on her wrist, with a connection to an alarm centre, the care service was alerted and she received help. This probably saved her life," says Goebel, adding that the woman is now 91.

At the EU's headquarters in Brussels, staff are aware of the challenges that we will have to deal with in Europe when the grey wave washes over us. The demographics leave no doubt that the birth rate is falling. There will be fewer young people to take care of a growing proportion of older people in the population.

"We must think afresh in several areas. There is a need to develop new forms of solidarity. Families alone will not be able to look after family members who will live longer than ever before. At the same time, we must consider how we can use technology to enable the older population to live a healthy and independent life," comments Elvira Goebel.

Study of trends

eHealth is a priority area in the EU's public health programme, and the Health and Consumer Protection Directorate-General is making a goal-oriented and long-term effort to support eHealth initiatives in various European countries. Elvira Goebel also highlights initiatives that the European Commission has launched itself, such as a European study of people's habits in using the Internet to promote health. The survey is being conducted in seven European countries, and is led by the Norwegian Centre for Telemedicine in Tromsø.

Catalyst

Goebel describe the EU's role as a catalyst for changes to promote good health in Europe's population.

"We are a collaborative partner offering support to the various countries. Our policy is to focus on citizens and the environment in which they live, as well as to support measures to promote good health. In this respect, technological innovations such as electronic patient records, electronic booking of appointments, sensors and advanced telemedicine represent important tools in enabling us to offer a good health service in Europe in the future.

For more information, please contact the Head of Information, Hilde Pettersen, mobile telephone +47 991 03 794.

Facts about TTeC 2007:

The Tromsø Telemedicine and eHealth Conference takes place from 11 to 13 June 2007. This is the seventh time that the Norwegian Centre for Telemedicine in Tromsø is organizing the conference, which gathers several hundred participants from 20 countries over three days. This year's conference focuses on new, non-traditional possibilities for improving the efficiency of the care service and reducing the burden on the public health service when the grey wave begins in earnest within a few years.