A System Architecture Supporting the Agile Coordination of Homecare Services

Abstract

Abstract. Dependent people (especially the elderly) are nowadays surrounded by various health services, as well as by social and multi-technology monitoring devices. The PASPORD research project focuses on improving the management of processes involved in home care. These processes are known to be collaborative: their activities spread over different organizations, are carried out by diverse health or logistical actors. These activities must be coordinated by an integrated system, which is the purpose of the present project. However, the deployment of such a process takes place in a very dynamic and uncertain environment. In this paper, we seek to characterize and model this complex process. On the basis of its features, we define the principles of a system architecture to support the collaboration between the stakeholders and provide agility to overcome difficulties induced by its specificity.

An Ontology-Driven Approach for the Management of Home Healthcare Process

“…However, the lack of reliable and timely intercommunication between these stakeholders seriously hamper their efficiency [2,4]. Indeed, the only communication means used by most homecare providers is a so-called ''liaison logbook'' which is a physical notebook, usually unstructured and kept at the patient's home [5,6].…”

Ontology-Based Workflow Design for the Coordination of Homecare Interventions

“…Such processes are usually long termed, distributed among several participants and composed of heterogeneous elements with various levels of autonomy, but are subject to dynamic changes [1]. As outlined in several research works [1][2][3], the delivery of homecare interventions faces many challenges, mainly in terms of coordination and continuity of care. In both cases, the problem seems to be related to how care activities are distributed and managed among the different participants involved in such processes.…”

An Ontology-Based Approach to Adaptive Home Careflows

“…Elderly chronic patients are beginning to saturate national health services with increased health-related costs across Europe [1], [2]. The process of care for lifelong and chronic patients requires enduring treatments under constant expert supervision in a flexible and dynamically changing environment.…”

“…Care workflow (careflow) models, plays an important role in the coordination and continuity of homecare as they are used to guide and manage all the established procedures required to carry out the activities related and specific to a patient care case at home [3], [2]. The role of Careflow Management Systems (CfMSs) in this context is to coordinate the activities involved by conveying the necessary information, actions and tasks depending on predefined patients' intervention plans and the role of care providers.…”