Gwangju Nam-gu, Recruiting Participants for ICT-Based Senior Health Service Pilot Project

Smartphone Ownership for Ages 65 and Over... First-Come, First-Served for 600 People

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] Nam-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City (District Mayor Kim Byeong-nae) announced on the 25th that it will publicly recruit participants for the ‘ICT-based Health Management Service Pilot Project’ provided to elderly people with limited medical accessibility by utilizing the know-how of the public health center’s home visit health management project and information and communication technology (ICT).

The ICT-based Health Management Service Pilot Project monitors the health status of elderly people through smartphones and smart devices, and when abnormal signals are detected in health-related data, professional personnel such as visiting nurses working at the public health center visit the home to provide customized services.

Nam-gu was selected as a region for the ICT-based Elderly Health Management Service Pilot Project hosted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare in July, securing 200 million KRW in national funding, and is preparing to provide full-scale services by purchasing devices such as activity trackers, Bluetooth scales, blood pressure and blood glucose monitors, and AI lifestyle speakers.

The service is expected to begin as early as the end of this year after recruiting participants.

The recruitment target is elderly people aged 65 or older who reside in Nam-gu according to their resident registration and own a smartphone, with a recruitment quota of 600 people on a first-come, first-served basis.

However, to provide an opportunity for elderly people aged 60 to 64 to participate in this inaugural project, participants will be recruited within 10% (60 people) of the total recruitment quota. iPhone users, elderly long-term care grade holders, and those participating in mobile healthcare conducted by the public health center are excluded from eligibility.

The application period is from the 30th until the first-come, first-served recruitment ends. Elderly people wishing to participate should inquire in advance with the Nam-gu Public Health Center’s Home Visit Health Team and then apply by phone.

Participants in the ICT-based Health Management Service Pilot Project will be provided with an activity tracker and Bluetooth scale as basic equipment, and depending on the presence of health risk factors, Bluetooth blood pressure and blood glucose monitors and AI lifestyle speakers will be additionally provided.

If participants withdraw midway, the provided smart devices must be returned.

A Nam-gu official said, “We will do our best to promote the project to provide cutting-edge services to elderly residents in the district who need to improve their health management habits so that they can enjoy a dignified old age.”