Research Article: Improved Medication Adherence of an Elderly Diabetic Patient at a Dwelling Home Using a Pill Dispenser and Personal Health Records
Abstract:
Fookkun® is a pill dispenser in which single doses of several medications intended to be taken simultaneously are sealed in single film bags rolled onto a medication rotating drum. The system makes musical alert sounds when it is time for the patient to take the medications. If the patient misses a dose, a designated contact, such as the patient’s child, is alerted. We conducted an experiment monitoring the use of a pill dispenser (Fookkun®) by an older patient. The participant was a 71-year-old woman with diabetes living in a dwelling home. The experiment lasted approximately 6 months. Fookkun® and the prototype data transmitter were installed at the patient’s home. Fookkun®’s medication history data are displayed on the electronic medication record book (E-MRB) and the patient’s pharmacist checks the patient’s medication history on the E-MRB. The Fookkun® was effective in facilitating medication adherence. The pharmacist and the patient’s daughter did not need to check the E-MRB because Fookkun® alerted them when the patient missed her medication. We believe that if the medication history data linked between a pill dispenser and an E-MRB can be shared among medical staff, this will contribute to a medical digital transformation in Japan in the future.
Introduction:
In Japan, 36.24 million people are aged 65 and over, representing an ageing rate of 29.0%. Among these, 7,427,000 (28.8%) live alone [1]. Solitary deaths have become a social problem, underscoring the need for information-and-communication-technology-based support to monitor people.
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