Technology in Society xxx (2015) 1e7

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Technology in Society
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/techsoc

Technology challenges to healthcare service innovation in aging Asia:

Case of value co-creation in emergency medical support system
Vatcharapong Sukkird a, b, *, Kunio Shirahada a
a
Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, School of Knowledge Science, 1-1 Asahidai, Nomi, Ishikawa 923-1211, Japan
b
Sirindhorn International Institute of Technology, School of Management Technology, Thammasat University, 131 Moo 5, Bangkadi, Pathumthani 12000,
Thailand

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: The trend of the aging populations in Asia countries will increase at an average of 30% in 2050.
Received 31 December 2014 Healthcare service innovation is an essential mechanism to support and increase the well-being of the
Received in revised form elderly. The emergency medical support system is a critical process that challenge providers to impli-
31 July 2015
cation healthcare innovation and technology for physical helps to life threatening cases. There is a need
Accepted 6 August 2015
Available online xxx
to provide flexible applications that enable the elderly to communicate their desires with others in
emergency cases. 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.
Keywords:
Aging
We conduct a statistical analysis based on secondary data from the World Health Organization (WHO)
Healthcare service and use systematic reviews to identify the needs of healthcare technology related to aging based on the
Technological challenges service system. The results show that value co-creation concept in emergency medical service system are
Emergency positively significant system influencing healthcare service innovation for selected countries. This paper
Support system support E-health development and promote activities that co-created value between healthcare pro-
viders and patients through the preparation of alternative service systems.
© 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction
The trend of the aging population in Asia is rising from 10% in
2009 to 30% in 2050. The increase in elderly people is caused from
the unstable growth of population in many countries caused by
developed healthcare quality, different life styles of people that are
living alone, and have a decreased rate of fertility. The growth in the
number of elderly people will have an effect on society, the eco-
nomic, consumption, and healthcare services [1e2]. Many factors
need to be prepared in order to support aging populations,
including mobility, physical condition, and daily life. The main
factors are related to health policy, promotion, and service infra-
structure [3e5]. In the 21st century, technology and service inno-
vation drives the economic and society through a variety of
applications involving education, communication, entertainment,
and healthcare. Many technologies and innovations are aimed at
* Corresponding author. Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology,
School of Knowledge Science, 1-1 Asahidai, Nomi, Ishikawa 923-1211, Japan.
E-mail addresses: sukkird.vat@gmail.com (V. Sukkird), kunios@jaist.ac.jp
(K. Shirahada).
supporting the well being of the aging population for simple use
with universal design, examples of which can be found in smart
homes, smart cities and mobile applications [6e9].
Healthcare service is essential for the well-being of elderly
people for personal care, nursing, life threatening illness, health
consulting, and contingency help. Lack of a workforce in healthcare
sectors and limited of funding are the main problems in developing
countries. Technologies for healthcare services need to be designed
and selected to support the requirements of the aging population
on the basic of respective countries [10e13]. Many pieces of
research are aimed at trying to develop and focus on possible
technologies that can be applied to healthcare services, from basic
needs in daily life to special help [14e19]. Emergency medical
service is a critical healthcare service for aging people that needs to
be prepared and provided for all possible cases, from physical
condition help to life threatening cases on a 24 h basis. These ser-
vices need to provide a flexible application that enables the elderly
to communicate their desires with others in reasonable time. It is
important to improve emergency medical system and services.
From the viewpoint of service-dominant logic (SDL), the co-
creation concept is intended to capture the essential nature of

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2015.08.002
0160-791X/© 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Please cite this article in press as: V. Sukkird, K. Shirahada, Technology challenges to healthcare service innovation in aging Asia: Case of value
co-creation in emergency medical support system, Technology in Society (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2015.08.002
2 V. Sukkird, K. Shirahada / Technology in Society xxx (2015) 1e7

value creation between participators; it involves the participation
of beneficiaries through use, and integrated resources with part-
ners [20,21]. It supports services exchanged through the interaction
of service providers co-operating together with consumers who are
active participants in the service system. The trend of aging pop-
ulations has an effect on Asian societies, especially on healthcare
services and the well-being of people. There is a need to improve
the quality of emergency medical services by have a service
perspective and developing new technologies. This research iden-
tifies the technological challenges that face healthcare services in
terms of the emergency medical healthcare service system (EMSS)
to support elderly patients' demands. We conducted a statistical
analysis with the secondary data from the World Health Organi-
zation (WHO). We then perform systematic reviews to identify the
need for aging healthcare technology based on the service system.
Conceptual modeling is developed to represent a framework for
EMSS for elderly people on the basic of the value co-creation
concept.
2. Literature
2.1. Aging society and technology
Aging society refers to the population of elderly people in so-
ciety who are 60 year olds and older. Their increase is caused from
changes in lifestyle, a shirking birthrate, and the increasing quality
of health over the last 20 year. The trends of aging society will incur
economic and social cost through changing services and market
demand. Governments and societies should prepare and plan to
support the growth of these trends [2e4]. Technologies and
communication systems in many countries developed in order to
support the daily life of people for faster and easier living. Tech-
nology development is driven by many industries and changes the
lifestyle of people into one of technology consumers [22e24]. A
complementary perspective on the relationship between technol-
ogy and aging focuses on elderly as active consumers and co-
creator of the transformation of technological change and con-
sumption. One piece of research focuses on technology and aging
by using a new concept called “innosumer” for the aging market
[25].
Healthcare is an industry that tries to use mobile technology and
communication systems for elderly people, it supports well-being
and life quality through security and confidence. Mobile phones
in many countries are challenging tools to improving the quality of
healthcare service for elderly. Applications and implications
healthcare service through mobile phone satisfy the requirements
of elderly and improve their quality of life [26e32]. It should be
taken into healthcare development plans when defining future
roles of mobile applications to support elderly in an aging society.
One piece of research focused on the needs and expectations in
using technology for elderly people separated by using the criteria
in Table 1. For example, to contact with families, to link their health
status of elderly adults to hospital, reminder daily plans with
family, and communicate health providers to support their health
problem in emergency case.
In modern societies, elderly people have access to technology
and applications that support their health and social care. Tech-
nological applications are necessary in order to learn and share
experience on services between providers, elderly and family. Ag-
ing healthcare services that provide through e-services are essen-
tial to life quality of patients and increase available of service on
time in any place [33e35]. It can improve the effectiveness of health
system by building up technologies that provide the general needs
of aging people. Aging people require to support varies from in-
dividuals to social preferences. The individual preferences of
elderly people differ depending on their ability to live at home
through appropriate technology base on lifestyle, environment, and
preference [36,37]. Moreover, technologies are also possible to
improve the physical health and independence of seniors. For
instance, mobile devices are possible to connect medical pro-
fessionals with seniors to monitor and review their chronic
conditions.
Today, information and communication technology develop-
ment depends on the ability of the internet and the infrastructure
of each country, It can support the demands of elderly people to
communicate with their needs include family, caregivers, friends,
or hospitals. The Internet based devices stand to integrate and co-
operate the ways in which respite care services for family and
caregivers communicate with elder members [38e40]. They can set
the essential information on mobile and cloud memory that guides
healthcare providers to secure quality care for their seniors, it can
be achieved with a simple search from database system that done
in minutes through the internet. Moreover, they can plan time with
technology when providing healthcare to recipients for taking care,
resting, monitoring and communicating. Implication communica-
tion technologies in healthcare service make efficient use of limited
time and provide quality of life for both healthcare providers and
recipients that will ultimately determine the ‘‘value’’ of technology
in healthcare [41,42].
2.2. Emergency medical service system
An emergency medical service system (EMSS) can be defined as
“a comprehensive system which provides the arrangements of
personnel, facilities and equipment for the effective, coordinated
and timely delivery of health and safety services to victims of
sudden illness or injury” [43]. The aim of EMSS emphasizes
providing timely care to victims of sudden and life-threatening
injuries or emergencies in order to prevent needless mortality or
long-term morbidity. The function of EMSS can be simplified into
four main components: accessing emergency care, care in the
community, care on transportation routes, and care upon arrival to
receiving care at a health care facility [44]. EMSS can provide ser-
vice that supports the needs of elderly people through integrated
information and communication technology. Available of the EMSS
will increase life confident in aging societies, and actors in EMSS
need to prepare and active to support all possible cases in 24 h
basis.
The impact of an aging society on the demand for EMSS must be
addressed that prepare for the increased need of pre-hospital

Table 1
Expectation on technology of elderly [26].

Need and expectation Note

Feeling safe and secure Connected to the usability of the technology

Memory and daily life activity aids Appointment reminder, alarm, address book, diary, medication reminder, and caller ID complemented
Communication device Enables contacts with friends and family
Freedom of movement Involves both self-determination and empowerment
Enjoyment, self-actualization, healthier independent life Intrinsic motivations. Services that promote their physical and mental well-being

Please cite this article in press as: V. Sukkird, K. Shirahada, Technology challenges to healthcare service innovation in aging Asia: Case of value
co-creation in emergency medical support system, Technology in Society (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2015.08.002
 V. Sukkird, K. Shirahada / Technology in Society xxx (2015) 1e7
emergency training and proper technology that are required for
treating a larger number of elderly and presumably sicker patients
[45e49]. In aging societies, elderly people need to find information
and make decisions about providers of medical and social services
to maintain their daily life by considering reasonable selection, cost,
and time [50]. As health problems increase, physical and cognitive
abilities decline. EMSS can build market mechanisms that increase
an individual's responsibility. It may need to offer some kind of care
coordinator who is available and can act in the interest of the
elderly person with the appropriate quality providers. Incoming
trends of smart homes and pervasive healthcare (ubiquitous), and
household devices may have a positive impact on daily lives by
reducing the burden of several tasks and enriching social interac-
tion and emergency communication. There is a large variety of
assistive devices such as alarms, sensors, detectors, and life style
monitoring devices, which can help in emergencies [51].
In 2012, a report from WHO was published concerning the
emergency situations of elderly people. They are increasing
worldwide who are groups that needs special support and related
to quality of healthcare systems [52] The contributions to these
issues were generally overlooked by governments to develop
technological investment plan for healthcare policy. There are in-
dividual issues in healthcare system that should support the elderly
people, family and healthcare provider during an emergency situ-
ation. These include physical health, mental health, functional
status and disability, lifestyle habits, nutrition, family and social
relations, economic situation, and gender considerations. Aware-
ness of the needs and contributions of elderly people should
consider these issues to ensure that these people at risk can be
identified before, during, and following an emergency situation.
The values in future healthcare service will base on implication
technology to enhance quality of services and satisfaction of pa-
tients [42]. WHO provide aging health promotion approaches for
developing countries [53]related to cultural change, structural
change (Government), intersectoral approaches (Hospital),
community-based approaches, family-based approaches, and in-
dividual approaches. These approaches are based on technology
and actors in EMSS that are related to the living of elderly people
through their role in health promotion.
3. Research methodology
3.1. Research procedures
In this section, we separate research methodology in-to three
steps to explore related details of technological challenge for EMSS
in aging Asia. Healthcare policy and technology for elderly people
needs to be classified by the readiness of countries that should
prepare them through socialization and healthcare innovation to
support those who need them. We conducted a statistical analysis
as a first step by using the secondary data from WHO that focused
on the increase of the aging population and the healthcare system
in Asia. The analysis shows the situation of healthcare services in
Asia by workforce, infrastructure, and technology in the health
system. After that, we used systematic reviews on technological
research that focus on elderly people, which can identify the needs
of technology aimed for aging people based on EMSS and findings
in the statistical analysis. This step separates technological chal-
lenge facing EMSS based on income and level of healthcare systems
and facilities. In the final step, conceptual modeling is used to
represent the framework of actors in EMSS for elderly people on the
basic of the value co-creation concept. It is focused on the co-create
value from the interaction between provider and receiver through
appropriate technology, in order to increase the service quality and
well-being of elderly people. For a case study, we conducted a
Please cite this article in press as: V. Sukkird, K. Shirahada, Technology challenges to healthcare service innovation in aging Asia: Case of value
co-creation in emergency medical support system, Technology in Society (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2015.08.002
3
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.
Descriptive statistics were used to explain findings and results from
survey by Microsoft Excel 2013 and SPSS22.
3.2. Data collection and measurements
Questionnaire in this research was designed to find current
practice of EMSS that healthcare providers operate in developing
country. For data collection, we sent questionnaires to the head-
nurse of emergency department in hospitals, The questionnaire
was divided in-to two parts: hospital characteristics and techno-
logical application in EMSS. The first part focuses on the hospital
characteristics from type, level, and number of beds, number of
patients and number of registered nurses in the emergency
department. The second part concerns the technical applications
for principle monitoring and communication that provide service
inside and outside hospital. In this part, the questions focus on
technology and applications with patients, sharing healthcare da-
tabases between department and hospital, and communication
devices for EMSS. For data collection for this survey, we selected 40
hospitals, that is, 25 public hospitals and 15 private hospitals from
the city and the countryside area in a developing country. This
questionnaire survey is choice to select option or response based on
questions. Each question had at least one choices that respondents
could choose, and some questions had more than one choice.
4. Research results
4.1. Asia health system situation
According to WHO statistics in 2012, elderly people are the
fastest-growing age group in worldwide. By 2050, there will be two
billion people or nearly one out of every four people whose age is
over 60 years old [54,55]. This aging population is occurring highest
in less-developed countries, which consequently have less ability
and knowledge than developed countries to prepare the healthcare
system for this social transition. In 2050, most of elderly people will
be living in developing countries that will have difficult to facing
these challenges. Therefore, WHO aimed at increasing access of
mobile medical device and assistive devices for elderly people in
low- and middle income countries. They aimed to find out what
technologies that these countries feasible to implication and what
the lack of resource in order to identify possible solutions. For this
reason, the WHO scheme is focused on research, development and
production of appropriate devices for low- and middle-income
countries that are designed for aging populations who live in ru-
ral area or poor villages.
The Asian health system is a factor in sustaining the well-being
of elderly people through physical and mental healthcare. The
health system from the WHO perspective, focus on the health
workforce, infrastructure, and technology, represents the ability
and workload ratio with the number of resources and the popula-
tion in each country. WHO health statistic reports in 2013 showed
that the health systems of Asia have lack of healthcare resource in
low-to medium income countries, which are 90% of Asia pop-
ulations [56]. These groups include countries from Eastern Asia,
South Asia, and South-East Asia. Most of them are developing
countries that try to improve service quality in healthcare services
for their people. The workforce ratio by persons per population of
10,000 during 2005e2012 for physicians, nurses, and pharmacists
are 5.5, 9.9, and 4.2 for developing countries and 21.4, 41.4, and 21.5
for developed countries. These ratios affect the workload of the
health workforce and service quality of health systems. Therefore,
4 V. Sukkird, K. Shirahada / Technology in Society xxx (2015) 1e7

Asian countries should prepare their health systems to face with
healthcare service demand from the aging population's growth.
Statistics on healthcare expenditure from WHO are also a factor
that relates to life quality of people. WHO collects and measures
these statistics on the basis of gross domestic product (GDP) of each
country. They measure the statistics from 194 Member States to
find the status and policy of countries that provide budgets to
sustain healthcare system. Healthcare expenditure from their
report focuses on the ratio of investment from government and
private sectors, which in Asia have an average healthcare expen-
diture as percentage of GDP in 2010 at 3.6% for developing coun-
tries and 12.4% for developed countries. Healthcare expenditure
ratios from governments in Asia are 34.7% and 55.5% for developing
countries and developed countries respectively. Both healthcare
expenditure statistics showed that the ability of developing coun-
tries is lower than that of developed countries. Thus, they need to
find appropriate technology to increase the quality of their
healthcare service systems on the basic of the limit of capital
expense, infrastructure, and workforce.
4.2. Technological challenge for EMSS
From the result of the health system situation of Asian countries,
we classified Asian countries into three groups by the ability of the
healthcare system: there are low ability, medium ability, and high
ability. In each group, the level of technology for EMSS is different
in that it affects the application, complexity, and cost of technology.
Regarding reviews on application technologies for elderly people,
we clustering EMSS based on the ability in health system and in-
come of countries in Table 2. Technological application can be
supported from basic requirement, communication, health plans
and monitoring, online updates, position tracking, and other.
However, the basic requirements of elderly people must be support
in order to communicate their needs with providers in EMSS. The
technological challenges of these countries related to decision
making to use appropriate technology from basic ICT to internet
based ICT with automatically responses. For EMSS investment,
knowledge about limits and cost of technology should be share
between governments, service providers, and service receiver. This
will have an effect on the effective of EMSS to provide service to
elderly people in all groups and locations.
In some countries may separate elderly people in-to groups on
the basic of their ability and technological infrastructure in each
area. For example, in big cities and the countryside, they may use
different kinds of technology to support daily life and communi-
cation in emergency cases. In big cities, they can use internet based
devices to support social life and response in EMSS when need any
help. In the countryside, they may have a limit on tele-
communication and technology that they need for support that
relies on basic phones or mobile phones for EMSS. However, after
the cost of technology and infrastructure can be supported, they
may shift to use advanced devices that can support their need in
daily life. From this research, we found that the cost and application
of communication devices are key factors for expanding healthcare
services for elderly people, to overcome limitations in the tech-
nology of countryside areas. EMSS can be made available to people
through technology and systems that designed to support seg-
ments of customers. The design and accessibility of devices are
significant criteria that need to be focused on order to make the
devices easy to learn and use. Moreover, privacy and security
technology are interesting issues to think about when developing
medical devices that are for personal use for personal information
stored on technological based devices.
4.3. EMSS model based on value co-creation concept
EMSS as healthcare service that needs rethinking of its concept
from pro-active to active service for maintaining the growth of
aging populations. From the current situation of the emergency
healthcare services in developing countries provide service to
incoming patients with technological support system that not
available to all regions. Governments of these countries should
develop policy and trained workforces together with private sec-
tors to use appropriate technology for communication in EMSS. In
Fig. 1, this research presents an EMSS model based on the value co-
creation concept by using mobile technology to support the elderly.
We focused on the value that increases service quality and the well-
being of elders through information and knowledge sharing in
EMSS. In the EMSS model, service receivers includes elder people,
family, and caregivers are active customers that need to share in-
formation about health condition of patients and response service
activities together with service providers.
Co-created Value in EMSS model creates by collaboration of
participators in emergency case to support communication in
nursing preparation, patient transportation management, and
personal health monitoring. Elderly patients are possible to
communicate with hospital or family in emergency case to report
their health or daily activities. Co-created Value in the model
include knowledge sharing, technology transfer and quality of
service that are results of interaction between service provider and
receiver. Knowledge sharing and technology transfer in EMSS are
activities that support application mobile technology for elderly.
This model separates service providers into healthcare service
providers (hospital, insurance company and EMS agent) and ICT

Table 2
EMSS clustering based on ability in health system.

Groups Ability of health system

Application Technology

Low income Support basic emergency requirements with basic technology Public phone
 Contact hospital in emergency case Basic phone
 Family and Caregiver communication Mobile phone
Medium income Multi-purpose support in EMSS without auto active response Public phone and basic phone
 Health plan, records, and communication with hospital Mobile phone and smart phone
 Self monitoring for basic health conditions Tablet and computer
 Family and caregiver communication Global positioning system (GPS)
 Position tracking Internet and wireless technology
High income Multi-purpose support in EMSS with automatic response Mobile technology
 Auto update health plan, records and communication with hospital Robot and Intelligence sensor
 Auto monitoring for basic health condition (alert, alarm, and request) Smart home system
 Online communication with auto detected sensor Pervasive healthcare (ubiquitous)
 Real-time position tracking Internet based technology

Please cite this article in press as: V. Sukkird, K. Shirahada, Technology challenges to healthcare service innovation in aging Asia: Case of value
co-creation in emergency medical support system, Technology in Society (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2015.08.002
 V. Sukkird, K. Shirahada / Technology in Society xxx (2015) 1e7
Fig. 1. Value co-creation in emergency medical service system model.
service providers (mobile company and technical support agent).
Service providers are essential for designing system and technical
support with health records that makes the records available on
EMSS. It will increase their revenue by providing new services from
integrated resource and co-create service system. EMSS model
presents service concept to develop quality of healthcare through
medical preparation, prehospital decision making, and friendly
communication that is accurated to patient's symptom in com-
munity based care. Moreover, alternative EMS can be prepared with
selected providers on basic of patient preference, quality care, and
service cost.
Tele-communication infrastructure is a technology that support
in value co-creation between actors in a system through commu-
nication, suggestions, monitoring, reminders and alerts, health
plans and record, and tele-healthcare. This model was developed to
support elderly requirements that might concern with health re-
minders, alerts, monitoring, and emergency requests. It required to
use communication device as medical service device by making
interaction between providers and patients on time. It operated like
the information sharing concept in supply-chain management in
which actors in a system co-create value together to support their
need and efficiency. Table 3 shows details on the roles in an EMSS
from a service viewpoint that expects to find actors co-create value
in a practical EMSS. Participation of actors will increase healthcare
service quality and revenue through the mobility and accessibility
of customers. Regarding the WHO policy on active aging, elderly
people in EMSS model as active patients who ready to co-create
value that have an effect to their well-being in modern society
Table 3
Roles in EMSS from service viewpoint.
Groups Actors Requirements
Service receiver  Elderly  Emergency request
 Family member  Health monitoring
 Caregivers  Health reminder and alerts
Service provider  Hospital  Health records and plan
 EMS agent  Tele-health
 Insurance company  Monitoring results
 Mobile company  Real-time information
 Technical support center
Please cite this article in press as: V. Sukkird, K. Shirahada, Technology challenges to healthcare service innovation in aging Asia: Case of value
co-creation in emergency medical support system, Technology in Society (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2015.08.002
5
with health and mental confidence. Consequently, Asian countries
should determine healthcare service innovations that are provided
to their people through technological investment based on ability
and infrastructure.
4.4. EMSS situation and technological challenges in Thailand
Based on Asia health system situation that developing countries
who are low-middle income and have lack of healthcare resource.
They need to focus on technology, service quality and health sys-
tems. Therefore, we selected Thailand for a case study on EMSS
situation and technological challenges. It is an example to focus on
EMSS in developing country that needs to develop and prepare
EMSS for elderly. In the case study, we observed the current tech-
nologies in the EMSS that were used to support principle healthcare
monitoring and communication activities for in EMS of hospital.
We hypotheses that application technology in EMS are not different
between public hospital and private hospital. It include application
technology to patient, linking data based, and sharing information
during hospitals.
The survey on the EMSS in Thailand focused on medium-to large
sized of hospitals, the data of which was collected from the head
nurse of emergency room. We got 30 responses (75%) from 19
public hospitals (76%) and 11 private hospitals (73.3%). The ques-
tionnaire was separated in two part: hospital and technological
application. In the first part, the hospitals were for primary care
(20%), secondary care (13%) and tertiary care (67%). From the survey
results, 80% of hospitals had a number of beds higher than 150 and
Roles of technology Co-created value
 Update health status  Well-being
 Report errors to system  Life confidence
 Communicate to provider  Increase healthcare knowledge
 Health database management  Service quality and accessibility
 Activities suggestion  Active service system
 Communicate with patient  Effective healthcare service and cost
 Integrated service  Revenue
6 V. Sukkird, K. Shirahada / Technology in Society xxx (2015) 1e7
had a number of registered nurse higher than 10 nurses. The
number of patients was more than 200 per day (70%), and the
number of patients in emergency department was more than 50
patients per day (70%). The second part is related to the techno-
logical application in the EMSS that included these monitoring
activities: blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, classify type of
patient, input and review health record. Most of them used mobile
medical devices to support their activities in emergency cases with
all patients, but those devices did not link the results to the system
(80%). Health records were paper based and not shared with other
hospitals (93%). From statistical analysis by proportion test, there
not different between public hospital and private hospital on
application technology to patient, linking data based, and sharing
information during hospitals, by z-value are 1.762, 1.796,
and 1.063 respectively topics. All value are lower than 1.96, and
less than 1.96 by confident interval at 95%.
Mobile healthcare applications for smart phones in 2013e2014
are available on Google Play (Android) and the App-store (iOS).
Although they had many applications to support EMSS, they also
were not used in general practices. They can be used for moni-
toring, position tracking, sugar in the blood, heart rate, health alert,
health plan, and other purpose in medical services. These tech-
nologies can support in the EMSS, but it effective affect from skill
and experience of users with the health applications. In Thailand,
we did not find available service providers or hospitals that linked
their EMSS through real-time healthcare services. For this point, the
government and private sector should focus on active aging in or-
der to develop healthcare service with smart phone applications
and mobile medical devices based on the infrastructure and limi-
tation of technology. Additionally, technical support and skilled
workforce in EMSS are the main factors that need to be set up for
aging populations. From the service viewpoint and feasible tech-
nologies in Thailand and Asia societies, creating Internet based
devices is a challenge to overcome in order to provide applications
in healthcare services for the elderly people. Regarding the growth
of the smart phone market, providers can provide various appli-
cations from basic monitoring to online EMSS with hospitals. Mo-
bile medical devices may be available and easy to use for the elderly
and their family through smart phones and personal medical de-
vices. Finally, Electronic health record is an important information
that need to attached with these devices or available on online
database to improving service quality.
5. Conclusion
This research presents technological challenges to support EMSS
for elder people in developing countries, it includes the decision
making for alternative technology investments on the basic of
infrastructure, the economic and the ability of the healthcare sys-
tem. Value co-creation concept is a tool for provider to participate
with patients and other service provider. It is useful to health sys-
tem for developing countries who lack in health resource and
implication technology. This paper develop EMSS model by prepare
health system to support trends of patients in aging societies. EMSS
model in this paper supports principle healthcare monitoring and
communication activities for in EMS of hospital with elderly pa-
tient. It provides quality of healthcare through medical preparation
and supports alternative EMS on basic of patient preference. Ap-
plications on internet based devices are technologies that are
valuable for designing and developing functions for aging service
expansion. This makes service accessible available to people in
coverage areas through smart phones and mobile medical devices.
The alternative technology clustering for EMSS will guide investors
and related actors in the system to focus on communication
channels between elderly people and their providers, which
Please cite this article in press as: V. Sukkird, K. Shirahada, Technology challenges to healthcare service innovation in aging Asia: Case of value
co-creation in emergency medical support system, Technology in Society (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2015.08.002
includes family, caregivers, and hospitals depending on the ability.
Doing so will support the growth in number of aging people and
help them to live with confidence through the appropriate tech-
nology. In future research, we will focus on technology acceptance
and technology transfer of participators in EMSS to identify and
promote related alternative technologies for people in different
area. Moreover, healthcare service concept of developing countries
require to prepare and develop eHealth service and electronic
health record through internet and cloud database system.
Acknowledgment
We would like to thank Sirindhorn International Institute of
Technology (SIIT) and Japan Advanced Institute of Science and
Technology (JAIST), who provided the SIIT-JAIST scholarship to the
first author in the Ph.D. program. Moreover, we thank all re-
spondents from hospitals in Thailand who were kind enough to
participate in the questionnaire. This article is a revised version of
paper in PICMET”14 (Portland International Conference on Man-
agement of Engineering and Technology).
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