Monitoring of medication boxes using wireless sensors

Medication adherence is a real problem among older adults which can lead to serious repercussions on their health and life. Adherence is defined by the World Health Organization as the extent to which the behavior of a person corresponds with recommendations from a health care provider. A low medication adherence to a certain prescription can undermine the treatment benefits in many cases. Moreover, taking wrong medication may lead to unwanted secondary effects, adverse health conditions, and visits to the hospital. This dissertation describes the work focused on the design, development, and research of a solution for monitoring medication boxes using attached sensors. The main contributions of this work include the development of a mobile application, a study on how to classify data from medication box gestures, an implementation of the algorithm that retrieves data from sensor boxes, and an integration of the data classification algorithm into the mobile application. A medication reminder proof-of-concept was developed in the scope of this Master’s project. Sensor data is received by the prototype through a module that integrates the connection and data transference from the sensor boxes via wireless communication. Another module implements metric extraction functions that are applied to the inertial sensor data retrieved from the sensor box. The calculated metrics, herein corresponding to features, are passed to a machine learning algorithm, integrated in the data classification and feature extraction module, for posterior data identification. An in-depth analysis on how to classify inertial data from medication box gestures was conducted during the development of the solution. This in-depth analysis included the creation of two datasets with different characteristics which were preprocessed and fed to several machine learning algorithms. The analysis of the results outputted by the algorithms is included in this document. The dataset collection took place in two different locations, corresponding to a controlled environment and to a non-controlled environment. The obtained results showed that it is possible to identify the gestures in the dataset for the controlled environment, with the best results achieving a true positive rate of 97:9%. The results obtained for the dataset of the non-controlled environment (which was created with target users) showed that there are still many aspects that need to be improved before a final version of the solution is released.Uma baixa adesão à terapêutica é um problema real entre os adultos que pode levar a sérias repercussões nas suas vidas. A adesão à terapêutica é definida pela Organização Mundial de Saúde como a medida em que o comportamento de uma pessoa coincide com as recomendações de um prestador de cuidados de saúde. Uma baixa adesão a uma determinada terapêutica pode comprometer, em muitos casos, os benefícios do tratamento. Além disso, tomar medicação errada pode levar a efeitos secundários não desejados, condições de saúde adversas e visitas a hospitais. Esta dissertação descreve um trabalho focado na concepção, desenvolvimento e investigação de uma solução para a monitorização de caixas de medicação com caixas de sensores a elas acopladas. As principais contribuições deste trabalho incluem o desenvolvimento de uma aplicação móvel, um estudo em como classificar dados de gestos de caixas de medicação, uma implementação do algoritmo que obtém dados das caixas de sensores e a integração do algoritmo de aprendizagem automática na aplicação móvel. Foi desenvolvida uma prova-de-conceito de alarmes de medicação no âmbito deste projecto de Mestrado. Os dados dos sensores são recebidos pelo protótipo através de um módulo que integra a ligação e transferência de dados das caixas de sensores via ligação sem fios. Outro módulo implementa funções de extração de métricas que serão usadas sobre os dados dos sensores inerciais contidos nas caixas de sensores. As métricas calculadas, também chamadas de características, são passadas para um algoritmo de aprendizagem automática, que está integrado no módulo de classificação de dados e extração de características, para posterior identificação de dados. No desenvolvimento da solução, foi feito um estudo aprofundado sobre como classificar dados inerciais de gestos de caixas de medicação. Este estudo incluiu a criação de dois conjuntos de dados com diferentes características que, depois de serem pré-processados, foram submetidos a diferentes algoritmos de aprendizagem automática, sendo os seus resultados analisados neste documento. O processo de coleção de dados foi feito em dois locais distintos, correspondendo a um ambiente controlado e um ambiente não controlado. Os resultados obtidos mostram que é possível identificar os gestos considerados no ambiente controlado, tendo os melhores resultados chegado a 97:9% de taxa de acerto. Os resultados obtidos para o conjunto de dados do ambiente não controlado (que contou com a participação dos utilizadores alvo da aplicação) demonstraram que ainda há aspetos a melhorar antes de produzir uma versão final da solução

Mobile Self-monitoring ECG Devices to Diagnose Arrhythmia (AR) that coincide with Palpitations: A Scoping Review

The use and deployment of mobile devices across society is phenomenal with an increasing number of individuals using mobile devices to track their everyday health. However, there is a paucity of academic material examining this recent trend. Specifically, little is known about the use and deployment of mobile heart monitoring devices for measuring palpitations and arrhythmia. In this scoping literature review, we identify the contemporary evidence that reports the use of mobile heart monitoring to assess palpitations and arrhythmia across populations. The review was conducted between February and March 2018. Five electronic databases were searched: Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), CINHAL, Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus. A total of 981 records were identified and following the inclusion and exclusion criteria, nine papers were formed the final stage of the review. The results identified a total of six primary themes: purpose, environment, population, wearable devices, assessment, and study design. A further 24 secondary themes were identified across the primary themes. These included detection, cost effectiveness, recruitment, type of setting, type of assessment, and commercial or purpose-built mobile device. This scoping review highlights that further work is required to understand the impact of mobile heart monitoring devices on how arrhythmias and palpitations are assessed and measured across all populations and ages of society. A positive trend revealed by this review demonstrates how mobile heart monitoring devices can support primary care providers to deliver high-levels of care, at a low cost to the service provider. This has several benefits: alleviation of patient anxiety, lowering the risk of morbidity and mortality, while progressively influencing national and international care pathway guidelines. Limitations of this work include the paucity of knowledge and insight from primary care providers and lack of qualitative material. We argue that future studies consider qualitative and mixed-methods approaches to complement quantitative methodologies and to ensure all actors’ experiences are recorded

IoT-Based Applications in Healthcare Devices

The last decade has witnessed extensive research in the field of healthcare services and their technological upgradation. To be more specific, the Internet of Things (IoT) has shown potential application in connecting various medical devices, sensors, and healthcare professionals to provide quality medical services in a remote location. This has improved patient safety, reduced healthcare costs, enhanced the accessibility of healthcare services, and increased operational efficiency in the healthcare industry. The current study gives an up-to-date summary of the potential healthcare applications of IoT- (HIoT-) based technologies. Herein, the advancement of the application of the HIoT has been reported from the perspective of enabling technologies, healthcare services, and applications in solving various healthcare issues. Moreover, potential challenges and issues in the HIoT system are also discussed. In sum, the current study provides a comprehensive source of information regarding the different fields of application of HIoT intending to help future researchers, who have the interest to work and make advancements in the field to gain insight into the topic

Pill Assist: Using Principles of Design to Improve Medication Adherence among People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Ghana

People's lives are made easier through design and technology, whether it is a smartphone or a device that assists visually impaired people. This research explores new approaches to pillbox design for people taking medication. Pillboxes are meant to support patients with serious illnesses like HIV/AIDS for which regular medication-taking is necessary. Using electronics, experiments were conducted on different designs, forms, and structures of traditional pillboxes. This research uses a qualitative research and prototyping strategy to investigate the potential of good design on technological advancements to improve low medication adherence rates due to stigma for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Ghana, while also making medicine-taking a more private experience. The Pill Assist prototype is a wearable device that takes a traditional wallet design and transforms it into a dual-purpose medication storage and reminder system. This device assists people with pill-taking in a timely manner while keeping their status private. Pill Assist introduces new ways in which wearable design can be integrated into pill-taking and as a lifestyle solution. Findings from this study are an initial step toward applying good design principles and technology to develop solutions that cater to all stigma-related diseases

The Factors Influencing the Behavioural Intention of Overweight Adults to Use Wearable Devices for Sustained Health Monitoring

The volume of wearable devices that can be used for sustained health monitoring purposes is continuously growing within the healthcare sector. These devices allow users to track their own activity levels in real time. However, there are factors that may inhibit the behavioural intention to sustain the use of wearable devices for health monitoring in the long term by overweight adults. These factors include privacy concerns, costs of obtaining wearable devices, theft, frequent charging and short battery life of wearable devices and bulkiness of some wearable devices. It is against this backdrop that this study examined the factors influencing the behavioural intention of overweight adults in South Africa to make use of wearable devices for sustained health monitoring. This research made use of the Expectation Confirmation Model (ECM) as the theoretical foundation of the study. In achieving the aim of this study, a qualitative research approach was used. The purposive sampling technique was selected to identify twenty (20) overweight adults (aged 18-59 years) who are using wearable devices in East London, South Africa. Interviews were conducted with the twenty participants to identify the factors that will influence their behavioural intention to make use of wearable devices to monitor their health. Through thematic analysis, data provided by participants was grouped and summarised into relevant themes to answer the main research question. The study developed a framework that identifies the factors influencing behavioural intention of overweight adults to continue using wearable devices for sustained health monitoring. The factors that were identified include confirmation, perceived usefulness and satisfaction of wearable devices for sustained health monitoring. The realisation of weight loss, monitoring of daily activities and calories through the use of wearable devices was found to positively influence the behavioural intention of the users of wearable devices to continue their usage. However, the major factors that may inhibit the continuous usage of wearable devices for sustained health monitoring are privacy concerns, costs of obtaining wearable devices, theft, frequent charging and short battery life of wearable devices and bulkiness of some wearable devices. Based on the findings, the study recommended the following: (1) the wearable device manufacturers should assure the users of their privacy and confidentiality by providing the needed ii | P a g e interfaces for this purpose; (2) the manufacturers of wearable devices should make the devices less bulky so that they can be more portable; (3) South African government should provide security operatives in isolated areas where people are not feeling secure; (4) the manufacturers of wearable devices make the purchase prices of wearable devices more affordable, especially for low income people; and (5) the manufacturers of wearable devices should improve on battery life and quality of wearable devices so that the devices are more time efficient and require less charging of the devices

The Factors Influencing the Behavioural Intention of Overweight Adults to Use Wearable Devices for Sustained Health Monitoring

The volume of wearable devices that can be used for sustained health monitoring purposes is continuously growing within the healthcare sector. These devices allow users to track their own activity levels in real time. However, there are factors that may inhibit the behavioural intention to sustain the use of wearable devices for health monitoring in the long term by overweight adults. These factors include privacy concerns, costs of obtaining wearable devices, theft, frequent charging and short battery life of wearable devices and bulkiness of some wearable devices. It is against this backdrop that this study examined the factors influencing the behavioural intention of overweight adults in South Africa to make use of wearable devices for sustained health monitoring. This research made use of the Expectation Confirmation Model (ECM) as the theoretical foundation of the study. In achieving the aim of this study, a qualitative research approach was used. The purposive sampling technique was selected to identify twenty (20) overweight adults (aged 18-59 years) who are using wearable devices in East London, South Africa. Interviews were conducted with the twenty participants to identify the factors that will influence their behavioural intention to make use of wearable devices to monitor their health. Through thematic analysis, data provided by participants was grouped and summarised into relevant themes to answer the main research question. The study developed a framework that identifies the factors influencing behavioural intention of overweight adults to continue using wearable devices for sustained health monitoring. The factors that were identified include confirmation, perceived usefulness and satisfaction of wearable devices for sustained health monitoring. The realisation of weight loss, monitoring of daily activities and calories through the use of wearable devices was found to positively influence the behavioural intention of the users of wearable devices to continue their usage. However, the major factors that may inhibit the continuous usage of wearable devices for sustained health monitoring are privacy concerns, costs of obtaining wearable devices, theft, frequent charging and short battery life of wearable devices and bulkiness of some wearable devices. Based on the findings, the study recommended the following: (1) the wearable device manufacturers should assure the users of their privacy and confidentiality by providing the needed ii | P a g e interfaces for this purpose; (2) the manufacturers of wearable devices should make the devices less bulky so that they can be more portable; (3) South African government should provide security operatives in isolated areas where people are not feeling secure; (4) the manufacturers of wearable devices make the purchase prices of wearable devices more affordable, especially for low income people; and (5) the manufacturers of wearable devices should improve on battery life and quality of wearable devices so that the devices are more time efficient and require less charging of the devices

Mobile self-monitoring ECG devices to diagnose arrhythmia that coincide with palpitations: a scoping review

The use and deployment of mobile devices across society is phenomenal with an increasing number of individuals using mobile devices to track their everyday health. However, there is a paucity of academic material examining this recent trend. Specifically, little is known about the use and deployment of mobile heart monitoring devices for measuring palpitations and arrhythmia. In this scoping literature review, we identify the contemporary evidence that reports the use of mobile heart monitoring to assess palpitations and arrhythmia across populations. The review was conducted between February and March 2018. Five electronic databases were searched: Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), CINHAL, Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus. A total of 981 records were identified and, following the inclusion and exclusion criteria, nine papers formed the final stage of the review. The results identified a total of six primary themes: purpose, environment, population, wearable devices, assessment, and study design. A further 24 secondary themes were identified across the primary themes. These included detection, cost effectiveness, recruitment, type of setting, type of assessment, and commercial or purpose-built mobile device. This scoping review highlights that further work is required to understand the impact of mobile heart monitoring devices on how arrhythmias and palpitations are assessed and measured across all populations and ages of society. A positive trend revealed by this review demonstrates how mobile heart monitoring devices can support primary care providers to deliver high levels of care at a low cost to the service provider. This has several benefits: alleviation of patient anxiety, lowering the risk of morbidity and mortality, while progressively influencing national and international care pathway guidelines. Limitations of this work include the paucity of knowledge and insight from primary care providers and lack of qualitative material. We argue that future studies consider qualitative and mixed methods approaches to complement quantitative methodologies and to ensure all actors’ experiences are recorded

Devices and Data Workflow in COPD Wearable Remote Patient Monitoring: A Systematic Review

Background: With global increase in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) prevalence and mortality rates, and socioeconomical burden continuing to rise, current disease management strategies appear inadequate, paving the way for technological solutions, namely remote patient monitoring (RPM), adoption considering its acute disease events management benefit. One RPM’s category stands out, wearable devices, due to its availability and apparent ease of use. Objectives: To assess the current market and interventional solutions regarding wearable devices in the remote monitoring of COPD patients through a systematic review design from a device composition, data workflow, and collected parameters description standpoint. Methods: A systematic review was conducted to identify wearable device trends in this population through the development of a comprehensive search strategy, searching beyond the mainstream databases, and aggregating diverse information found regarding the same device. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines were followed, and quality appraisal of identified studies was performed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) quality appraisal checklists. Results: The review resulted on the identification of 1590 references, of which a final 79 were included. 56 wearable devices were analysed, with the slight majority belonging to the wellness devices class. Substantial device heterogeneity was identified regarding device composition type and wearing location, and data workflow regarding 4 considered components. Clinical monitoring devices are starting to gain relevance in the market and slightly over a third, aim to assist COPD patients and healthcare professionals in exacerbation prediction. Compliance with validated recommendations is still lacking, with no devices assessing the totality of recommended vital signs. Conclusions: The identified heterogeneity, despite expected considering the relative novelty of wearable devices, alerts for the need to regulate the development and research of these technologies, specially from a structural and data collection and transmission standpoints.Introdução: Com o aumento global das taxas de prevalência e mortalidade da Doença Pulmonar Obstrutiva Crónica (DPOC) e o seu impacto socioeconómico, as atuais estratégias de gestão da doença parecem inadequadas, abrindo caminho para soluções tecnológicas, nomeadamente para a adoção da monitorização remota, tendo em conta o seu benefício na gestão de exacerbações de doenças crónicas. Dentro destaca-se uma categoria, os dispositivos wearable, pela sua disponibilidade e aparente facilidade de uso. Objetivos: Avaliar as soluções existentes, tanto no mercado, como na área de investigação, relativas a dispositivos wearable utilizados na monitorização remota de pacientes com DPOC através de uma revisão sistemática, do ponto de vista da composição do dispositivo, fluxo de dados e descrição dos parâmetros coletados. Métodos: Uma revisão sistemática foi realizada para identificar tendências destes dispositivos, através do desenvolvimento de uma estratégia de pesquisa abrangente, procurando pesquisar para além das databases convencionais e agregar diversas informações encontradas sobre o mesmo dispositivo. Para tal, foram seguidas as diretrizes PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses), e a avaliação da qualidade dos estudos identificados foi realizada utilizando a ferramenta CASP (Critical Appraisal Skills Programme). Resultados: A revisão resultou na identificação de 1590 referências, das quais 79 foram incluídas. Foram analisados 56 dispositivos wearable, com a ligeira maioria a pertencer à classe de dispositivos de wellness. Foi identificada heterogeneidade substancial nos dispositivos em relação à sua composição, local de uso e ao fluxo de dados em relação a 4 componentes considerados. Os dispositivos de monitorização clínica já evidenciam alguma relevância no mercado e, pouco mais de um terço, visam auxiliar pacientes com DPOC e profissionais de saúde na previsão de exacerbações. Ainda assim, é notória a falta do cumprimento das recomendações validadas, não estando disponíveis dispositivos que avaliem a totalidade dos sinais vitais recomendados. Conclusão: A heterogeneidade identificada, apesar de esperada face à relativa novidade dos dispositivos wearable, alerta para a necessidade de regulamentação do desenvolvimento e investigação destas tecnologias, especialmente do ponto de vista estrutural e de recolha e transmissão de dados

Information technology for active ageing: A review of theory and practice

Active Ageing aims to foster a physically, mentally and socially active lifestyle as a person ages. It is a complex, multi-faceted problem that involves a variety of different actors, such as policy makers, doctors, care givers, family members, friends and, of course, older adults. This review aims to understand the role of a new actor, which increasingly plays the role of enabler and facilitator, i.e., that of the technology provider. The review specifically focuses on Information Technology (IT), with a particular emphasis on software applications, and on how IT can prevent decline, compensate for lost capabilities, aid care, and enhance existing capabilities. The analysis confirms the crucial role of IT in Active Ageing, shows that Active Ageing requires a multidisciplinary approach, and identifies the need for better integration of hardware, software, the environment and the involved actors

Strategic Intelligence Monitor on Personal Health Systems (SIMPHS): Report on Typology/Segmentation of the PHS Market

This market segmentation reports for Personal Health Systems (PHS) describes the methodological background and illustrates the principles of classification and typology regarding different fragments forming this market. It discusses different aspects of the market for PHS and highlights challenges towards a stringent and clear-cut typology or defining market segmentation. Based on these findings a preliminary hybrid typology and indications and insights are created in order to be used in the continuation of the SIMPHS project. It concludes with an annex containing examples and cases studies.JRC.DDG.J.4-Information Societ