Research Overwhelmingly Points to Benefits of Smart Home Health Technology
McKnight’s Home Care | By Adam Healy
A growing body of research has indicated that smart home health technology provides a wealth of benefits for home care patients and older adults aging in place.
In a literature review published by BMC Geriatrics, researchers analyzed 163 studies conducted between 2000 and 2021 concerning the use of smart home health technologies. These technologies included tools to monitor patients’ physiological well-being or functional status, safety and security technology; tools that facilitate social interaction; and other instruments like home reminder systems or medication management devices.
The most common benefit associated with smart home health technology was that they effectively helped clinicians and caregivers continuously monitor patients, which “makes caregiving simpler, more efficient, holistic or of higher quality,” according to the study published Wednesday. And at the same time, patients using these tools tended to feel greater confidence and peace of mind as a result of being monitored.
Smart home health technology was also effective at reducing seniors’ loneliness, which has been shown to lead to worse health outcomes. Such tools, the researchers said, promote self-care and adherence to clinically-prescribed medication, exercise or diets. Furthermore, many studies indicated smart home health technology’s ability to prevent emergencies such as falls, as well as enable earlier responses when emergencies do occur...
Read Full Article
Despite these benefits, barriers limited many older adults from using these technologies most effectively. Of the 163 studies analyzed, 110 found that smart home health technology was not intuitive or hard to use. Some older adults were hesitant to use robotic devices in the home, and technical issues such as battery life, internet connectivity, password systems and incompatibilities with existing home medical devices prevented many from being used successfully.
|
