Technology-enhanced medication taking and symptom monitoring
A. A. Sterns, J. W. Hughes, B. Grimm, L. Larsen, R. Ranjan, O. S. Muir, F. Ma
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AbstractTaking medications correctly is a challenge worldwide. If your mother is not taking her medications, you worry. If you are the director of a behavioral health center with 4000 active and aging patients, you worry more. Technology can play a critical role in supporting medication taking. There are three challenges: 1) reinforcing medication taking, 2) monitoring adherence, adverse reactions, and side effects, and 3) connecting the care team to intervene when problems arise. Our three-component platform is designed to be a solution for all three challenges. This study focused on adult and older adult individuals taking antipsychotic medications who are at risk of Tardive dyskinesia (TDD). TDD is a late-developing, debilitating side effect of dopamine receptor-blocking medications, particularly antipsychotics, with risk increasing with age. Characterized by involuntary facial, trunk, and extremity movements, TDD is difficult to treat, potentially irreversible, and varies in severity from mild to debilitating. While tetrabenazine-based drugs can reduce symptoms, they are under-prescribed, with only 40,000 of the estimated 2.6 million individuals affected receiving treatment. Early detection of TDD is critical for timely intervention to prevent permanent disability, yet assessments are rarely performed, as it is challenging for even the most qualified diagnosticians to provide the frequent monitoring necessary. This challenge is exacerbated by the shift to telemedicine and the increasing patient load on mental health professionals. An efficient, automated method for TDD detection is crucial for improving patient outcomes and reducing the burden on healthcare providers.Keywords: mental health, artificial intelligence, medication adherence, tardive dyskinesia, remote patient monitoring
A. A. Sterns, J. W. Hughes, B. Grimm, L. Larsen, R. Ranjan, O. S. Muir, F. Ma (2024). Technology-enhanced medication taking and symptom monitoring. Gerontechnology, 23(2), 1-1
https://doi.org/10.4017/gt.2024.23.s.1162.opp