Design and development of an IoT device provided with a voice interface to improve treatment adherence in polymedicated patients

Abstract

The population pyramid is inverting in the Western world, and this demographic transition brings new challenges. The search for healthy aging has made the use of new technologies for assistance, not only in specialized centers but also in the home itself. In recent years, many advances have been made in medical devices at home, with particular emphasis on devices to help take medication. The poor (or not) following of the instructions given by the medical personnel to the patients for taking medication causes thousands of avoidable deaths every year. In this work, a new approach to smart pillbox is proposed, combining the power of voice assistants with telecare devices. An smart pillbox with integrated Alexa was developed, and the foundations are laid for the use of voice assistants in healthcare.