Slashdot Mirror


A Smart Pillbox To Improve Medication Compliance

Roland Piquepaille writes "A major challenge in public health is that people do not take their medications, a phenomenon known as 'medication non-adherence.' In the US alone, it is estimated that this accounts for 10% of all hospital visits and costs the healthcare system $100 billion per year and $60 billion to the pharmaceutical industry. Now, an MIT research team thinks it has a solution to this problem that will save lives worldwide. They've developed the uBox, a convenient, palm-sized, intelligent pill dispenser, 'which reminds a patient when it is time to take his medication, records when a patient has taken a dose, and prevents a patient from double-dosing.' The first large-scale trial with 100 uBoxes is scheduled to begin in May in Bihar, India, in a 6-month long tuberculosis treatment program."

2 of 145 comments (clear)

  1. Why uBox? by dotancohen · · Score: 2, Funny

    Why uBox? They should call it the iBox and everybody would buy one.

    --
    It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.
  2. Re:And How Does The Pillbox Know... by dotancohen · · Score: 5, Funny

    And how does the pillbox know that you actually took the pill It should wear a condom if it's not sure.
    --
    It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.