Smart monitoring technology to support home-based dementia care: Market-specific business model development and implementation considerations in the Netherlands

Background: Remote monitoring (RM) technology can support home-based dementia care by enabling (in)formal caregivers to monitor the health and safety of people with dementia remotely. However, sustainable implementation is challenged by a lack of viable business models and a limited understanding of the markets in which these models might operate. This study aimed to (1) develop business models for RM technology in the Dutch consumer-, healthcare-, and social support market, and (2) identify entrepreneurial opportunities and challenges of implementing RM technology via those markets.
Methods: Semistructured interviews and focus groups were conducted among three stakeholder groups (n = 20) including care providers (n = 8), financiers of care and support (n = 6), and technology providers (n = 6). The sessions addressed the Business Model Canvas and entrepreneurial opportunities and challenges of implementation for each market. All sessions were analyzed thematically.
Results: The analysis resulted in three distinct business models which specify how RM technology for home-based dementia care could be sustainably implemented in the a) consumer market, b) healthcare market, and c) social support market. Possible entrepreneurial opportunities and challenges of implementing RM technology were identified per market. Topics dealt with, for instance, reaching potential user groups, time to market, the complexity of structural reimbursement, scalability, and alignment with future care trends.
Conclusions: Our findings add to the limited research on the entrepreneurial side of implementing dementia care technology. The proposed business models and insights into market-specific considerations can guide developers in refining implementation strategies and selecting suitable markets for RM technology and other home care technologies.