NEC Thailand tries out digital elderly care system

The Thai unit of Japanese IT and electronics firm NEC Corporation has conducted a proof of concept trial of a digital system for elderly care. 

The POC features a range of technological solutions that support healthcare professionals in providing care, rehabilitation and contactless prevention of high-risk incidents in elderly care facilities. 

The Mimamori system (meaning "to watch over and protect" in Japanese) includes an online care plan manager that digitises paper records; the Mimamori app where families can track their loved ones in aged care and be alerted of any change in their conditions; a medical alert system with NEC's 4D fall detection sensors installed in bedrooms and bathrooms.

The project has been shown to bring significant increases in staff effectiveness and efficiency. For example, it led to a 36% reduction in the workloads of the care manager and direct caregivers.

The Mimamori project also raised staff satisfaction, enhanced the care team's ability to prepare care plans, and made the handover process seamless. Additionally, it reduced paper waste by 70%. 

Later, more solutions and support for health teleconsultants, emergency services, and municipal agencies will come as the programme expands.

"Eventually, I envisage Mimamori evolving with a wider range of tools and innovations to include elderly clients living at home as a personalised virtual caregiving service for independent, high-quality support and deployment of rapid and effective responses," added NEC Thailand President Ichiro Kurihara.

Smith+Nephew opens digital innovation centre in Singapore

British medtech firm Smith+Nephew has opened a major medical education and digital innovation centre in Singapore.

According to a press release, Smith+Nephew (S+N) Academy Singapore will provide an immersive and interactive training environment for healthcare professionals while delivering the latest innovation in medical technology.

It features a digital operating suite with handheld robotics, 4K arthroscopy towers, surgical navigation tools, live transmission capabilities and touch-screen interfaces.

It also has a virtual reality simulation studio, a tech-enabled teaching auditorium, and a professional broadcast studio where surgical techniques can be recorded and live-streamed.

The centre has surgical stations for hands-on procedural training on orthopaedic reconstruction, trauma, robotics, sports medicine, ear, nose and throat and advanced wound management.

Smith+Nephew expects that up to 3,500 healthcare providers will attend in-person courses at S+N Academy Singapore each year by 2025, with another 5,000 being trained through digital technology. 

Additionally, S+N Academy Singapore will be partnering with medical institutions to provide access to its training facility and with start-ups, early-stage investors and industry partners to support the development of new medical technologies.

Insurtech startup DocDoc provides AI platform access to Aon clients

Singapore-based insurance technology startup DocDoc has tied up with insurance company Aon to provide insurance clients with access to an AI intelligence platform.

DocDoc's platform uses AI and clinical informatics to match patients to the most suitable doctors based on their unique medical needs and the doctor’s practice patterns. 

Access to DocDoc's platform is now available for Aon's clients in Singapore and will be further expanded to other markets across Asia next year.