Communications of the ACM
Researchers Design New App to Help Elderly Patients Reduce Medication Mistakes
Researchers in Spain have developed an application that helps elderly patients remember to take their medications.
Credit: Alamy
Researchers in Spain have developed Alicia, an application to assist elderly patients with administering their own medications at home.
Alicia notifies users when it is time to take a medication dose or a walk or any other activity that complements the treatment program.
The team's research shows forgetfulness is the leading cause of mishaps in drug self-administration, and many patients also are confused about their medication.
A team from the Calite Research group and the Department of Statistics, Mathematics, and Computer Science at the Miguel Hernandez University (UMH) collaborated with Spanish medical centers to develop the complex app, which requires a great deal of personalization. On a test of 99 patients, 94 percent found the app easy to use. "It reduced the repetition of mistakes in almost half of cases and increased involvement in self care," says UMH professor Jose Joaquin Mira.
The team has adapted the app for use with iPhones, iPads, and Android devices.
From News-Medical.Net
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