Healthcare industry trials smart pillboxes

Med-eMonitor records doses and informs nurses of potential problems

A group of patients in Tennessee's Medicare Health Support programme are to be given web enabled pillboxes to help them manage their medication. 

Around 270 people with diabetes and hypertension will be given the Med-eMonitor device, which records doses and warns nurses about people who have not taken their medication and those who are experiencing complications. 

"The goal of the programme is to keep participants out of the hospital by helping identify potential health issues early enough to be prevented or easily treated," said Michael Lynch, director of Med-eMonitor manufacturer ADT WellHealth. 

"The results should be better health, lower medical costs and peace of mind for the participant, his or her family, and their physician."

The device consists of an LCD screen, a simple keypad and connection to a standard telephone jack.

At scheduled intervals, participants are instructed by the device to take individual medications, including dosage and educational information, and asked to confirm whether they have taken their prescribed medication.

Participants will also be asked to answer a series of health-related questions about blood pressure, glucose levels and potential signs of impending stroke.

Trained personnel will monitor their responses and if no response is received over a set period of time, or the patient reports health problems, the device will send a message to the monitoring centre.

The American Diabetes Association said that seven per cent of the US population suffers from diabetes, and that over 60 per cent of diabetics also suffer from hypertension, a combination that can be debilitating and/or fatal.