Technological Innovations in Care and Implications for Human Resource Development

In responding to unsustainable care requirements, technological innovations—such as health information, assistive technologies and artificial intelligence—are seen as a solution to address gaps in care and the availability of skilled workers. The chapter explores the benefits of such innovations involving increased productivity and efficiencies and minimising pressures on human workers, freeing up their time to provide more complex forms of care. However, technology is costly, subject to failure and can also impede care provision and cause issues such as being more time consuming, changing working relationships, roles and responsibilities. As a result, the chapter considers the human resource development implications in operationalising technological innovations in care comprising careful and well-communicated implementation; systematic integration into work practices, taking account of revised roles and responsibilities; addressing user anxieties and ensuring provision of training and development activities which reflect changing skills and competencies.