Understanding the Role of Technology in Care: The Implementation of GPS-technology in Dementia Treatment

Abstract

Earlier literature on “welfare technologies” in general – and the use of GPS devices in dementia care in special – has been overwhelmingly focused on either individual (user-centric), technical or ethical challenges related to technology implementation. This paper argues for a relational analysis to supplement and adjust shortcomings in the existing research literature and introduces the concept of “techno-organizational networks” for the task. Through an analysis of a post-pilot period of a pilot-project with GPS-tracking of dementia patients, it is shown how a relational approach contributes to a better understanding of the dynamics and obstacles of developing technology-assisted health-care services. An original contribution of the article is also the argument for studying transitional, post-project or in-between project phases of technology implementation, which as a rule tend to be project driven, also in terms of research.