Ageing and Technology: Perspectives from the Social Sciences

The booming increase of the senior population has become a social phenomenon and a challenge to our societies, and technological advances have undoubtedly contributed to improve the lives of elderly citizens in numerous aspects. In current debates on technology, however, the "human factor" is often largely ignored. The ageing individual is rather seen as a malfunctioning machine whose deficiencies must be diagnosed or as a set of limitations to be overcome by means of technological devices. This volume aims at focusing on the perspective of human beings deriving from the development and use of technology: this change of perspective - taking the human being and not technology first - may help us to become more sensitive to the ambivalences involved in the interaction between humans and technology, as well as to adapt technologies to the people that created the need for its existence, thus contributing to improve the quality of life of senior citizens

Ageing and Technology

The booming increase of the senior population has become a social phenomenon and a challenge to our societies, and technological advances have undoubtedly contributed to improve the lives of elderly citizens in numerous aspects. In current debates on technology, however, the »human factor« is often largely ignored. The ageing individual is rather seen as a malfunctioning machine whose deficiencies must be diagnosed or as a set of limitations to be overcome by means of technological devices. This volume aims at focusing on the perspective of human beings deriving from the development and use of technology: this change of perspective – taking the human being and not technology first – may help us to become more sensitive to the ambivalences involved in the interaction between humans and technology, as well as to adapt technologies to the people that created the need for its existence, thus contributing to improve the quality of life of senior citizens

The Routledge Companion to Actor-Network Theory

This companion explores ANT as an intellectual practice, tracking its movements and engagements with a wide range of other academic and activist projects. Showcasing the work of a diverse set of ‘second generation’ ANT scholars from around the world, it highlights the exciting depth and breadth of contemporary ANT and its future possibilities. The companion has 38 chapters, each answering a key question about ANT and its capacities. Early chapters explore ANT as an intellectual practice and highlight ANT’s dialogues with other fields and key theorists. Others open critical, provocative discussions of its limitations. Later sections explore how ANT has been developed in a range of social scientific fields and how it has been used to explore a wide range of scales and sites. Chapters in the final section discuss ANT’s involvement in ‘real world’ endeavours such as disability and environmental activism, and even running a Chilean hospital. Each chapter contains an overview of relevant work and introduces original examples and ideas from the authors’ recent research. The chapters orient readers in rich, complex fields and can be read in any order or combination. Throughout the volume, authors mobilise ANT to explore and account for a range of exciting case studies: from wheelchair activism to parliamentary decision-making; from racial profiling to energy consumption monitoring; from queer sex to Korean cities. A comprehensive introduction by the editors explores the significance of ANT more broadly and provides an overview of the volume. The Routledge Companion to Actor-Network Theory will be an inspiring and lively companion to academics and advanced undergraduates and postgraduates from across many disciplines across the social sciences, including Sociology, Geography, Politics and Urban Studies, Environmental Studies and STS, and anyone wishing to engage with ANT, to understand what it has already been used to do and to imagine what it might do in the future

Les conséquences inattendues de l'utilisation de la télésanté et l'implication des citoyens-patients dans le développement des services au Québec

L’introduction de la télésanté dans l’offre des soins et services implique des changements et des transformations importants, attendus ou inattendus, de diverses natures, et ce à différents niveaux : sociopolitique, économique, organisationnel, clinique, professionnel, culturel, humain, légal, éthique et technologique. Certains enjeux sensibles associés à la télésanté révèlent le fossé existant entre une vision historique, dite techniciste (ou solutionniste), et les attentes, besoins et contextes des utilisateurs en ce qui a trait à sa vraie utilité et valeur ajoutée pour eux. Il est, en effet, à constater que dans l’histoire de l’évolution de la télésanté, notamment au Québec, les citoyens-patients sont les grands absents des décisions relatives au développement des services, alors que leur implication pourrait constituer un levier important pour éclairer la décision. De plus, il y a un manque important de travaux ayant questionné les conséquences multidimensionnelles et systémiques, attendues ou inattendues, négatives ou positives, de la télésanté sur les individus et groupes (ex. patients, communautés, professionnels), les organisations ainsi que sur les systèmes de santé. Cette thèse, composée de deux volets complémentaires, a pour finalité : 1) d’identifier les conséquences inattendues multidimensionnelles et multiniveaux de dix projets innovants et d’envergure de télésanté qui ont été implantés au Québec ; et 2) d’explorer la possibilité d’impliquer les citoyens-patients dans les décisions relatives au développement des services de télésanté selon la perspective croisée des différentes parties prenantes concernées au Québec. Pour le premier volet, soit l’étude des conséquences inattendues de la télésanté, nous avons effectué une analyse secondaire des données d’évaluation de 10 projets innovants et structurants ayant été implantés au Québec sur une période de 22 ans. Les données ont fait l’objet d’une analyse qualitative thématique en prenant pour assise le modèle des conséquences inattendues des technologies d’information en santé (adapté de Bloomrosen et al., 2011). Pour le deuxième volet, soit l’étude de l’implication des citoyens-patients dans le développement des services de télésanté au Québec, des entrevues semi-dirigées ont été menées auprès de 29 informateurs clés. Une analyse qualitative thématique des données a été effectuée en s’appuyant sur un cadre conceptuel intégrateur dérivé des théories de diffusion des innovations (adapté de Greenhalgh et al., 2004). Le premier volet a permis de constater que la télésanté requiert de nombreux ajustements, changements et négociations, souvent sous-estimés dans les étapes de planification des projets de télésanté. De plus, la télésanté peut être à l’origine de nombreuses conséquences inattendues, positives ou négatives, qui touchent aussi bien les individus, les groupes, les organisations que le système de santé dans sa globalité. Le deuxième volet démontre que l’implication des citoyens-patients dans le développement des services de télésanté se réfère davantage à une idée théorique qu’à une pratique réelle dans les organisations et le système de santé du Québec, ce qui lui confère encore un statut d’innovation pour de nombreux acteurs. Malgré les nombreuses incertitudes et les questionnements qui l’accompagnent, cette perspective est perçue comme pouvant éclairer la prise de décision et aider à implanter des services de télésanté harmonieux et socialement responsables, tout en impulsant l’innovation dans les organisations et le système de santé. Par ailleurs, les résultats ont montré que l’implication des citoyens-patients dans la prise de décision est fortement tributaire de nombreuses conditions organisationnelles et systémiques interdépendantes. Ils ont permis de constater un grand fossé entre le monde de la recherche sur la question et celui de la prise de décision, d’où le besoin d’un transfert soutenu des connaissances pour une meilleure traduction des connaissances dans l’actionThe introduction of telehealth in the delivery of healthcare and services involves significant, attended or unintended, changes and transformations of various kinds and at different levels: socio-political, economic, organizational, clinical, professional, cultural, human, legal, ethical and technological. The sensitivity of certain issues associated with telehealth points to the gap between a historical vision, known as a technicist (or solutionist), and the actual expectations, needs and contexts of users with respect to its real usefulness and added value for them. It should indeed be noted that in the history of the evolution of telehealth, especially in Quebec, citizen-patients were the major absentees in decisions relating to the development of the services, whereas their involvement could constitute an important lever to inform decisions. In addition, there is a significant lack of research that has addressing the multidimensional and systemic, attended or unintended, negative or positive, consequences of telehealth on individuals and groups (e.g., patients, communities, and professionals), organizations, and health systems. This thesis, composed of two complementary components, aims to: 1) identify the multidimensional and multilevel unintended consequences of ten innovative and large scale telehealth projects that have been implemented in Quebec; and 2) explore the possibility of involving citizen-patients in decisions concerning the development of telehealth services in the cross-perspective of the different stakeholders concerned in Quebec. We used a predominantly qualitative approach. For the first part, the study of the unintended consequences of telehealth, we conducted a secondary analysis of the evaluation data of 10 innovative and structuring projects having been implemented in Quebec, over a 22-year period. The data were the subject of a thematic qualitative analysis based on the model of the unintended consequences of health information technologies (adapted from Bloomrosen et al., 2011). For the second part, the study of citizenpatient involvement in the development of telehealth services in Quebec, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 29 key informants. A thematic qualitative analysis of the data was carried out based on an integrative conceptual framework derived from the diffusion of innovation theories (adapted from Greenhalgh et al., 2004). The first part found that telehealth requires many adjustments, changes and negotiations, which are often underestimated in the planning stages of telehealth projects. In addition, telehealth could be the source of many unintended consequences, sometimes harmful, that affect individuals and groups, health organizations, and the health system as a whole. The second part helped show that citizen-patient involvement in the development of telehealth services is more of a theoretical idea than a real practice in Quebec's organizations and health system, which places it still at the stage of innovation for many shareholders. It remains that despite the many uncertainties and questions that accompany it, this perspective is seen as potentially informing decision-making and helping to implement harmonious and socially responsible telehealth services, this while driving innovation in organizations and the health system. In addition, the results showed that citizen-patient involvement in decision-making is highly dependent on many interrelated organizational and systemic conditions. The gap between research on the issue and decision-making has also emerged, pointing out the need for sustained knowledge transfer for a better translation of knowledge into action

Aging between Participation and Simulation

This publication aims to initiate an interdisciplinary discourse on the ethical, legal, and social implications of socially assistive technologies in healthcare. It combines practically relevant insights and examples from current research and development with ethical analysis to uncover moral pitfalls at the intersection between the promotion of social participation and well-being, and risks that may diminish the achievement of these ends

Hyvinvointiteknologian määritelmää ja eettisiä perusteita etsimässä

Tutkimuksessa etsittiin mukautetun systemaattisen kirjallisuusanalyysin avulla määritelmää termille ”hyvinvointiteknologia”. Lähteinä käytettiin kotimaisia opinnäytetöitä ja kotimaisia ja ulkomaisia tieteellisiä kirjoituksia. Löydösten perusteella voitiin todeta, että vaikka julkaistuja määritelmiä on vähän, hyvinvointiteknologia käsitteenä voidaan määritellä. Seuraava määritelmä on kontekstista riippumaton synteesi tutkimuksen tuloksista. Hyvinvointiteknologia on monialaista ja poikkitieteellistä opetusta, tutkimusta ja kehitystä, jonka tavoitteena on edistää sellaisten teknisten ratkaisujen toteuttamista, asentamista ja käyttämistä, joiden avulla jokainen pystyy selviämään arjesta mahdollisimman itsenäisesti koko elämänsä ajan. Hyvinvointiteknologian toteuttamisessa ja käytössä kunnioitetaan humaaneja arvoja, joita ovat elämän, ihmisen ja ihmisarvon kunnioitus, kestävän kehityksen periaatteiden hyväksyminen, avoimmuus käyttöönotossa, kaikkien osapuolten vapaaehtoisuus ja yksityisyyden kunnioitus sekä tasa-arvon, yhdenvertaisuuden ja syrjimättömyyden periaatteiden noudattaminen kaikilla tasoilla.In this thesis the applied systematic literature review was used to find an acceptable definition for the term “welfare technology”. Finnish theses as well as Finnish and foreign scientific works were used as sources. Based on the results of this study, it can be stated that, although very few definitions have been published, welfare tecnology as a concept can be defined. The following definition is a context-free synthesis of the findings of this research. Welfare technology means multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary education, research and development aimed to promote the production, implementation and usage of technical solutions, with which each person can manage his / her everyday chores as independently as possible throughout his / her life. In the implementation and usage of welfare technology the human values are to be respected. These values are respect for life, the human being and human dignity, acceptance of the principles of sustainable development, openness in implementation, voluntariness of all participants, respect and protection of privacy and adopting the principles of equality, parity and non-discrimination on all levels

Aging between Participation and Simulation

This publication aims to initiate an interdisciplinary discourse on the ethical, legal, and social implications of socially assistive technologies in healthcare. It combines practically relevant insights and examples from current research and development with ethical analysis to uncover moral pitfalls at the intersection between the promotion of social participation and well-being, and risks that may diminish the achievement of these ends