Medication Adherence Verification via Imaging and Activity Recognition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medication adherence systems fail to confirm proper medication administration, especially in users with cognitive difficulties or those intentionally avoiding medication, and lack mechanisms for ensuring adherence to complex regimens, while also not addressing broader healthcare needs such as billing and patient education.
Innovation Solution
A comprehensive system that includes medication profiling, imaging for correct medication identification, activity recognition to confirm proper administration, and automated adherence tracking, with assistance features like video instructions and contact with medical professionals, along with integration for billing and insurance management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If imaging and activity recognition are used to confirm proper medication administration, then measurement precision of adherence is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs a mobile device that performs multiple functions: imaging the medication container, recognizing activities to verify administration, tracking adherence, and providing user interface interactions. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require multiple separate devices into a single platform, achieving high measurement precision while managing device complexity through consolidation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses an intermediary processing layer that receives images and activity data, compares them against expected patterns for the prescribed medication, and determines adherence. This intermediary layer acts as a mediator between the complex sensing components and the simple adherence verification output, managing system complexity through structured intermediate processing.
2Reliability
If comprehensive monitoring and verification mechanisms are implemented, then reliability of medication adherence is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system operates autonomously by automatically capturing images of the medication container, tracking user activities through sensors, comparing these against the prescribed regimen, and determining adherence without requiring manual input from the user. This self-service approach maintains high reliability while preserving ease of operation, as the comprehensive monitoring occurs without burdening the user.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-configures the adherence verification process by storing the prescribed medication regimen and expected administration patterns in advance. When the user takes medication, the system already has the criteria ready for comparison, eliminating the need for real-time complex decision-making and simplifying the user experience while maintaining reliable verification.
3Measurement precision
If multiple verification steps including imaging and activity recognition are used, then measurement precision of proper administration is improved, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs imaging and activity recognition continuously or near-continuously rather than as discrete sequential steps. The mobile device continuously captures data about the medication container and user activities, allowing the system to verify adherence in real-time or near-real-time, thereby maintaining high measurement precision without significant time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-loads the expected medication images and activity patterns into its database before verification is needed. When verification occurs, the system simply compares real-time captured data against these pre-prepared references, dramatically reducing the time required for accurate verification while maintaining high precision through the use of pre-configured comparison criteria.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method of confirming administration of medication is provided. The method comprises the steps of receiving information identifying a particular medication prescription regimen, determining one or more procedures for administering such prescription regimen and identifying one or more activity sequences associated with such procedures. Activity sequences of actual administration of such prescription regimen are captured and then compared to the identified activity sequences to determine differences therebetween. A notice is provided if differences are determined.