Evaluation of Taking-Medicine-Support Device for Inpatients / 社会薬学

ABSTRACT

In Japan, as a Social Security Reform measure against workforce decrease by 2040, robotic devices for nursing care and medication intake support have been utilised. However, evaluation reports about the robots and studies about their evaluation by patients are lacking. Therefore, we studied medication status with robotic assistance as well as patients’ evaluation of usability of robotic assistance. Participants were twelve patients whose median age was 73.0 (min 39.0-max 82.0), the median of number of drugs of a maximum intake day, which means the one of the week in which drugs are taken most, was 10.0 (min 4.0-max 17.0), and the median of maximum number of times to take drugs per day was 3.0 (min 1.0-max 4.0). Four were suspected of having dementia, based on the evaluation of their cognitive function tests. No patient missed any dose during the utilisation of the support device in taking medicine. All patients reported that the conditions of taking medicine and the recognition of the time to take it were improved. Therefore, the incorporation of support devices in taking medicine is expected to avoid missing to doses.