The developed world is aging at a high rate as a result of the general “baby boom” following World War II, as well as advancements in public health and medical care. These gains are offset by the accelerated growth in incidence and prevalence of chronic diseases – heart disease, cancer and stroke – which require costly long-term management.
There is an emerging class of technology-enabled innovations that are focused on managing chronic diseases. “At home care services” include health, safety and logistical support delivered in broad categories such as Telecare, Telehealth and “Smart Homes”. Collectively these innovations offer the potential for disruptive support of independent living by ensuring that seniors can spend “one more year at home” – then another, and another.
The primary goal of this research is to describe the dynamics that can shape successful technology-based innovation for independent living – what works across markets, and how the individual characteristics of a market can alter strategy and implementation. CITRIS investigators are working in collaboration with Dr. Peder Furseth of the BI Norwegian Business School and Dr. Richard Cuthbertson of the Oxford Institute of Retail Management, Said Business School, and University of Oxford, creators of the Value-Driven Service Innovation (VDSI) Model.
The team is using the VDSI as an organizing framework to: describe the context of independent living services in the US, UK, Norway and Japan; identify key strategic issues, such as defining stakeholder value, creating customer experience, planning and executing service operations, and negotiating business models. Central to the research is a consumer survey of over 1,000 residents of the four countries.
