Connected Care

Abstract This chapter explores the digital infrastructure that supports integration across services, with emphasis on the tools, platforms, and systems enabling real-time information sharing, proactive planning, and coordinated delivery. It introduces a layered model of interoperability, spanning core operational systems such as digital social care records and case management systems, through to shared care records, the Social Care Interoperability Platform, and the National Health Service (NHS) Federated Data Platform. The chapter describes the distinct functions of these components and how, together, they contribute to a connected data ecosystem that enables person-centred care. Practical applications are illustrated through case examples, including care coordination hubs, smart home monitoring, and integrated discharge pathways, showing how data can be mobilised to manage risks, strengthen continuity, and reduce hospital admissions. The discussion also highlights how digital systems in social care differ from those in health, with design principles shaped more by the need to uphold dignity, autonomy, and everyday support than by episodic clinical intervention. In doing so, this chapter underscores the importance of aligning digital infrastructure with the values and practical realities of both health and social care.