Technology challenges to healthcare service innovation in aging Asia: Case study of emergency medical service system

The trend of the aging populations in Asia countries will increase at an average of 10% in 2009 to 30% in 2050. Healthcare service is a principal social right and an essential mechanism for the well-being of the elderly. The emergency medical support system is a critical process for providing healthcare service for physical conditions related to aging and for help in life threatening cases. There is a need to provide flexible applications that enable the elderly to communicate their desires with others in a reasonable amount of time. This research is aimed at identifying the technological challenges that face healthcare services in terms of the emergency medical service system created to support elderly patients´ demands. We conduct a questionnaire survey for statistical analysis based on secondary data from the World Health Organization (WHO) and use systematic reviews to identify the needs of healthcare technology related to aging based on the service system. In addition, as a case study, we conducted a questionnaire survey given to healthcare service providers who work in hospitals in Thailand to identify current situation of EMSS and relative available technology for system improvement. The findings show that healthcare technology priorities and emergency service modeling are positively significant factors influencing healthcare service innovation for selected countries. This paper will increase the confidence of elderly people and their families through the preparation of alternative service systems with all service providers.