MDsense Webinar Q&A
Essence Smartcare broadcast on September 16 a webinar with the title: Fall Management in 2020.
Do today’s fall detection technologies solve this burning problem in senior care? What technologies on the horizon could help ?.
The webinar was attended live by more than 100 professionals from 30 different countries. Monitoring service providers, Healthcare distributors, municipalities, senior care distributors services … all of them saw the latest trends on the remote monitoring devices and the first approach to our new launch: MDsense.
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Could you explain how the technology behind MDsense works in layman’s terms?
Answer: MDsense is a wall mounted device that uses a combination of multi-sensing technologies (such as Radar and motion) and machine learning capabilities to scan a room and detect the positioning of the room’s occupant. The device does not need to sense the fall incident itself, rather it uses its machine learning algorithm to compare the current positioning to the previous positioning and the current movement of the occupant. Hence, in cases where existing fall detecting technology fail to detect a fall for a number of possible reasons, the MDsense will be able to give an accurate verified indication that a fall has occurred. All of this without using a camera and encroaching on the resident’s privacy.
Are there other wall-mounted sensors on the market for detecting falls or is this a completely new concept?
Answer: There are several standalone solutions in the market that rely on a single sensing technology (Radar or Optical). These sensors are mains powered while the MDsense is able to operate on batteries only.
As opposed to these solutions, the MDsense uses multiple sensors to learn more about the positioning of the resident, and not just a single sensor. This minimises false detections and improves accuracy. Additionally, other solutions can not comply with the minimal requirements of the Telecare market since they are not integrated into a more comprehensive elder care monitoring solution with the requisite certification to be used by professional monitoring centres.
These solutions are more suitable for other applications (like people counting etc.) while the MDsense is especially tailor made for the Telecare market.
Is the MDsense designed specifically for care homes or will you also be marketing the device to elderly/vulnerable people living in their own home?
Answer: While the MDsense is a perfect fit for care homes, it has been designed to be deployed in the living environment of any elder and other types of vulnerable populations. It is being marketed to Technology Enabled Care providers, independent living providers as well as hospitals and other facilities.
How long has MDsense been in development?
Answer: We have been developing the MDsense for the past 24 months with an extensive process that includes collecting huge amounts of data on human movements, positioning and other information that forms part of the data analysis that goes into the devices decision making process.
How much does the product cost?
Answer: The product is priced competitively to various channels who market it as part of a complete package of TEC services at the pricing level and model they choose.
Where and how widely used is MDsense currently?
Answer: MDsense is currently being evaluated by Essence SmartCare customers around the world in places such as Israel, Brazil, US, Netherlands, Australia and the UK. It is expected to be launched by our customers to end users in the next few months.
Is MDsense available in the UK? Is the UK one of your target markets for this new product?
Answer: The UK is one of our primary targets for the MDsense. The penetration rate of Telecare services in the UK is wider than most of the countries. This make it very strategic for us as many people already receive a Telecare service and such solutions, we believe is something that the industry waited for many years. The UK is particularly interested in finding new technology-based solutions to help them prevent falls among the elderly and has a strong infrastructure though local authorities who provide a high level of service to the elder care market.
Do you have any plans for expansion or growth with regards to the UK market?
Answer: Absolutely. Essence SmartCare already employ several local sales and support members in the UK. Our existing product line has been tailored to the needs of the UK customer and, following this investment, we are excited to continue our growth into the UK market. Our solutions are now available through our first UK partner, Appello, and will be expanded to more in the near future.
Could you talk about any ongoing or upcoming projects, collaborations or contracts in the UK?
Answer: Not at this time.
Could you tell me about the response to the product from professional carers?
Answer: The main response we have received has been excitement that the professional care market is finally getting a new addition to the falls management landscape that adds a totally different dimension to what has been available until now. The general feeling is that since the level of compliance with wearable solutions is extremely low, any technology that removes the onus of wearing a device from the elder and provides a more seamless solution will greatly increase your ability to care for them. Since we announced our intention to launch this product our partners have expressed their support by placing large volumes of pre-orders so that they will be among the first to receive it.
What are your plans for MDsense over the next 12 months? What is your vision for the product and the future of fall-detection in general?
Answer: The MDsense will evolve to include more capabilities in the area of relevant vital signs sensing using the same or other sensors within the device. As it is deployed more widely, we will collect more data such as types of falls, user movement and behavior pre-and post falls to enhance its ability to detect and even predict falls and potential medical conditions.
Fall detection needs to be more all-encompassing and manage the entire cycle of falls instead of just concentrating on the fall event itself. Comprehensive falls management, that considers behavioral and medical factors, give the elderly and vulnerable more ways to call for and receive help quicker and prevent future falls from happening. Essence SmartCare is adopting this holistic approach and already provides much of the required solution with more developments on the way.
Is it compatible with the existing Essence systems? Is it already integrated with existing monitoring platforms?
Answer: The product is compatible with Essence’s C7000 Platform, maintaining all the integration capabilities with 10’s different types of receivers over 4 continents.
Who is the main competitor today for MDsense?
Answer: There are several standalone solutions in the market that rely on a single sensing technology (Radar or Optical).
Those solutions could not comply with the minimal requirements of the PERS/Telecare market.
Therefore we believe, those solutions are more suitable for other applications (like people counting etc.) while the MDsense is especially tailor made for the Telecare market.
In which locations around the house you recommend to install the product?
Answer: The locations with the highest risk to fall are in the transitions between bedroom to bathroom. On top, due to the wet environment in the bathroom, the resident is at higher risk to slip. Therefore, we recommend to prioritize installations in Bathroom and Bedroom
Do you see this product MDsense product type becoming a mandatory requirement in a public tenders?
Answer: We believe that this product brings a new level of accuracy which enable not only to detect the fall and give fast response but also to prevent later falls and reduce the risk of injury and hospitalizations. Therefore we believe it should be a part of a public level tenders and governmental plans to deal better with this issue