Do users want telecare and can it be cost-effective

Summary form only given. In recent years there have been a number of telecare projects, investigating themes such as feasibility, delivery and acceptability. However, the evidence for the cost effectiveness and sustainability of telecare and telemedicine remains slight. Health care costs based on age indicate that older people are the main consumers, with spending on those 75 and over six times that of the average population. It is also estimated that around 40% of total hospital and community health service expenditure is on people aged 65 and over. Where the greatest expenditure is observed, it is suggested that the greatest savings can be achieved. The paper therefore considers older people as the target user group and seeks to demonstrate a wish by this group for the development of telecare and telemedicine and to show that a suitable system can be delivered in a cost-effective manner.