Services vs. Construction

Is the future of Senior Housing looking more like everyone's old, familiar home -- the current four walls we reside in? It might be that multi-dwelling units are becoming the dinosaurs of our industry as more and more savvy operators are considering a service-delivery model based upon Ritz-Carlton's and Disney's successful formulae.

Will technology, remote monitoring, and high speed bandwidth that delivers, voice, data and video to the home trump real estate development as the future business model for the aging population?

Food for thought . . . see the recent article below.

BB

October 04, 2007

Singapore Hospital Tests Video Visits at Patients' Bedsides

Singapore General Hospital during the past six months has been pilot testing a system that allows people to use via camera phones to videoconference with patients or doctors through a bedside digital terminal, the Business Times Singapore reports.

The system, called SingHealth's Patient Bedside Terminal, includes a touch screen information system mounted to patients' beds that can enhance communications between physicians and patients. Doctors and nurses also can retrieve electronic health records and radiology images through the bedside terminal.

By the end of the year, parents with children at the KK Women's and Children's Hospital will be able to make video calls through the SingHealth terminals to physicians to receive updates on their children's conditions, the Times Singapore reports.

The bedside terminal is secured by a two-factor authentication code that doctors and nurses must use to log on to the system.

The 12 bedside terminals reportedly cost less than $100,000 to develop (Kiat, Business Times Singapore, 10/4).