Online Medicine Cabinet
20 February 2007Accenture has developed a prototype of a smart medicine cabinet “that demonstrates how technology will enable us to take more control over our own healthcare. It combines sensors with the power of the Internet and embedded computers to create a “situated portal”—a smart appliance that continuously monitors the needs of people and responds with appropriate, individualized services.”
Using a camera and face-recognition technology, the medicine cabinet can identify different people and provide information about their individual medical needs. Have allergies? The cabinet will not only tell you the day’s pollen count but it will also remind you to take your medication. Sensors on each prescription bottle will alert you if you’ve picked up the wrong bottle or if it’s the wrong time to take that medication.
The cabinet also allows users to monitor vital signs like blood pressure, heart rate and cholesterol levels and is able to share this information directly with your doctor via the internet. It keeps track of the trends and will suggest a doctor’s visit if appropriate, which, of course, can be made through the cabinet’s internet connection.
Hopefully this would cut down on the number of hospital visits resulting from medication errors.
Take Care!
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