CommonWell Cost-Benefit Analysis Andalucia
Costs and benefits of integrated eCare services
Better emergency care through telecare integration Aim of the service The main aims of the CommonWell service in Andalucia are to provide better support to the telecare clients of ASSDA in emergency situations and to improve the effiency of the cooperation between ASSDA and EPES, the emergency service provider. Through the integration, the time span and the number of calls needed for handling one emergency case are reduced and EPES gains access to key data about the client. This not only allows a faster and more targeted response of the emergency services, but also reduces client anxiety in a situation that is critical for them. Service concept The service is adressed to all clients of ASSDA's telecare service. In case of an emegency, they can alert the ASSDA call centre using a social alarm in their home. The call is taken on by an ASSDA operator and then forwarded automatically to the EPES call centre. At the same time, important client data are transmitted to the work station of the EPES operator. After dispatch of an emergency vehicle, the client is connected back to ASSDA.
Service location: Andalucia, Spain Service operator: ASSDA & EPES Service pilot: September 2010 - December 2011, 30444 clients Regular service operation: Since January 2012 For more information visit http://www.commonwell.eu. © CommonWell 2012
Key service costs
Key service benefits
s Adaptation of the telecare call centre to handle call forwarding
s Shorter overall time span and number of calls for the handling
and data exchange
of an emergency case
s Adaptation of the emergency service call centre to handle call forwarding and data exchange
s More targeted response of emergency services due to access to key client data
s Development of new protocols for emergency case handling
s Reduced stressfulness and anxiety of clients in an emergency
s Training of call centre staff
s Better fulfillment of the public duties of both providers
situation
Key success factors s Commitment of all stakeholders involved to engage in implementation and operation of an integrated service s Medium- to large-scale call centres to ensure cost-effectiveness of integration s Full integration of call and data exchange to achieve significant shortening of call handling time
Overall Socio-Economic Return The graph shows the overall socio-economic return (SER), the ratio of all costs and benefits of all stakeholders in the service. It covers a time span of 7 years, including the development and implementation phase (Phase I, months 1-12), the pilot phase (Phase II, months 13-27) and the regular operation phase where the service is scaled up to the whole of Andalucia (Phase III, months 28-84).
350% 300%
Phase I
Phase II
+
250% 200% 150% 100% 50% 0% -50% -100%
-
Phase III
Impacts on clients Benefits for clients The clients of the telecare service benefit from the improved co-operation with the emergency service provider. The shorter overall call time as well as the lower number of calls that are needed to handle a case lead to high levels of client satisfaction and a significant decrease in anxiety. Before the implementation of CommonWell, case handling would take an average number of seven calls per case, including calls between the telecare centre and the client, the emeregncy service centre and the client, and between both service centres. In the course of these calls, clients had to cut the connection at a certain stage in the process and to wait for a call-back from the emergency service. With CommonWell, the average number of calls was reduced to four and clients are in constant connection with either a telecare or an emergency service operator.
Feeling of assistance during emergency call 3%
1%
Always assisted
Satisfaction with emergency call handling 2%
1% Very satisfied
96%
Not assisted during short periods Not assisted during long perios
Satisfied
40%
57%
Little satisfied Not satisfied
Costs for clients There are no costs for clients associated with the new service. Clients continue to pay ASSDA's regular charge for the telecare service of up to 10€ per month, depending on household income.
Impacts on social care and health care service providers Benefits for social care and health care service providers As public bodies with a brief to deliver specific services to the citizens of Andalusia (telecare and emergency services, respectively) the two providers, and with them the regional government, benefit from the improved service offered to older citizens in the region. Both the quality and the efficiency of the telecare service in emergency situations were improved, particularly by reducing case handling time and number of calls per case and by giving the emergency service access to key client data (primarily client adress and information about health conditions). Before CommonWell, this information had to be passed on verbally from the telecare operator to the operator at the emergency service centre in a separate call during which the client would be without connection to both services. An analysis of the log data of the call centre computer systems showed that the average length of one call under the old system was 745,7 seconds, and that an average number of 7 calls was necessary to handle one call. After the introduction of CommonWell this was reduced to about 678,7 seconds and 4,4 calls. Further reductions are expected from the continued optimisation of the service.
Case handling time reduced by 67 seconds per case on average
Costs for social care and health care service providers The main cost to the two service providers are the staff effort for the development and implementation of the service and the development of the protocols and processes (~49% of total cost), the cost for the hard- and software for the call centres (~46% of total cost) and increased call cost (~5% of total cost). Irrespective of the integration between both providers, service operation depends on the round-the-clock availability of both the telecare centre and the emergency response centre. In the present case, ASSDA operates 2 call centres in Andalucia, providing telecare to 175000 clients. EPES opereates 8 call centres in the region, providing emergency services to the whole population of ~8.4mio inhabitants.
Socio-economic return The investment cost for the new service are paid from the budgets of both providers in order to achieve the improvements in service delivery described above, particularly with a view to both organisations being able to better fulfill their public duties. Furthermore, savings stemming from the reduced case handling time, i.e. the improved efficiency of the service, contribute to cost recovery. Based on the efficiency savings alone, the investment cost can be reclaimed about 3 years after the start of the development and 2 years after the start of the pilot (see figure below). The average socio-economic return is 54% for a seven years period.
Better emergency care through telecare integration Aim of the service The main aims of the CommonWell service in Andalucia are to provide better support to the telecare clients of ASSDA in emergency situations and to improve the effiency of the cooperation between ASSDA and EPES, the emergency service provider. Through the integration, the time span and the number of calls needed for handling one emergency case are reduced and EPES gains access to key data about the client. This not only allows a faster and more targeted response of the emergency services, but also reduces client anxiety in a situation that is critical for them. Service concept The service is adressed to all clients of ASSDA's telecare service. In case of an emegency, they can alert the ASSDA call centre using a social alarm in their home. The call is taken on by an ASSDA operator and then forwarded automatically to the EPES call centre. At the same time, important client data are transmitted to the work station of the EPES operator. After dispatch of an emergency vehicle, the client is connected back to ASSDA.
Service location: Andalucia, Spain Service operator: ASSDA & EPES Service pilot: September 2010 - December 2011, 30444 clients Regular service operation: Since January 2012 For more information visit http://www.commonwell.eu. © CommonWell 2012
Key service costs
Key service benefits
s Adaptation of the telecare call centre to handle call forwarding
s Shorter overall time span and number of calls for the handling
and data exchange
of an emergency case
s Adaptation of the emergency service call centre to handle call forwarding and data exchange
s More targeted response of emergency services due to access to key client data
s Development of new protocols for emergency case handling
s Reduced stressfulness and anxiety of clients in an emergency
s Training of call centre staff
s Better fulfillment of the public duties of both providers
situation
Key success factors s Commitment of all stakeholders involved to engage in implementation and operation of an integrated service s Medium- to large-scale call centres to ensure cost-effectiveness of integration s Full integration of call and data exchange to achieve significant shortening of call handling time
Overall Socio-Economic Return The graph shows the overall socio-economic return (SER), the ratio of all costs and benefits of all stakeholders in the service. It covers a time span of 7 years, including the development and implementation phase (Phase I, months 1-12), the pilot phase (Phase II, months 13-27) and the regular operation phase where the service is scaled up to the whole of Andalucia (Phase III, months 28-84).
350% 300%
Phase I
Phase II
+
250% 200% 150% 100% 50% 0% -50% -100%
-
Phase III
Impacts on clients Benefits for clients The clients of the telecare service benefit from the improved co-operation with the emergency service provider. The shorter overall call time as well as the lower number of calls that are needed to handle a case lead to high levels of client satisfaction and a significant decrease in anxiety. Before the implementation of CommonWell, case handling would take an average number of seven calls per case, including calls between the telecare centre and the client, the emeregncy service centre and the client, and between both service centres. In the course of these calls, clients had to cut the connection at a certain stage in the process and to wait for a call-back from the emergency service. With CommonWell, the average number of calls was reduced to four and clients are in constant connection with either a telecare or an emergency service operator.
Feeling of assistance during emergency call 3%
1%
Always assisted
Satisfaction with emergency call handling 2%
1% Very satisfied
96%
Not assisted during short periods Not assisted during long perios
Satisfied
40%
57%
Little satisfied Not satisfied
Costs for clients There are no costs for clients associated with the new service. Clients continue to pay ASSDA's regular charge for the telecare service of up to 10€ per month, depending on household income.
Impacts on social care and health care service providers Benefits for social care and health care service providers As public bodies with a brief to deliver specific services to the citizens of Andalusia (telecare and emergency services, respectively) the two providers, and with them the regional government, benefit from the improved service offered to older citizens in the region. Both the quality and the efficiency of the telecare service in emergency situations were improved, particularly by reducing case handling time and number of calls per case and by giving the emergency service access to key client data (primarily client adress and information about health conditions). Before CommonWell, this information had to be passed on verbally from the telecare operator to the operator at the emergency service centre in a separate call during which the client would be without connection to both services. An analysis of the log data of the call centre computer systems showed that the average length of one call under the old system was 745,7 seconds, and that an average number of 7 calls was necessary to handle one call. After the introduction of CommonWell this was reduced to about 678,7 seconds and 4,4 calls. Further reductions are expected from the continued optimisation of the service.
Case handling time reduced by 67 seconds per case on average
Costs for social care and health care service providers The main cost to the two service providers are the staff effort for the development and implementation of the service and the development of the protocols and processes (~49% of total cost), the cost for the hard- and software for the call centres (~46% of total cost) and increased call cost (~5% of total cost). Irrespective of the integration between both providers, service operation depends on the round-the-clock availability of both the telecare centre and the emergency response centre. In the present case, ASSDA operates 2 call centres in Andalucia, providing telecare to 175000 clients. EPES opereates 8 call centres in the region, providing emergency services to the whole population of ~8.4mio inhabitants.
Socio-economic return The investment cost for the new service are paid from the budgets of both providers in order to achieve the improvements in service delivery described above, particularly with a view to both organisations being able to better fulfill their public duties. Furthermore, savings stemming from the reduced case handling time, i.e. the improved efficiency of the service, contribute to cost recovery. Based on the efficiency savings alone, the investment cost can be reclaimed about 3 years after the start of the development and 2 years after the start of the pilot (see figure below). The average socio-economic return is 54% for a seven years period.
