Non-adherence to medicine is linked to preventable conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and hypertension, all of which increase the need for social care when left untreated or poorly managed. Between 30-50% of medicines for long term conditions are not taken as intended in the UK, costing the NHS an estimated £0.5 billion each year.
InHandPlus’ AI medication tracking has shown a 20-30% improvement in medication adherence amongst medicine takers. The smartwatch features a camera in the wristband and an onboard AI chip which can recognise anything in the users’ hands, allowing people to track their medication without needing to write things down or input data into a smartphone app. When the smartwatch recognises that medication has not been taken, it can gently remind and nudge people to take it.
Putting the smartwatch to the test
Hwiwon Lee, CEO of InHandPlus, demonstrating the device to testers in Barking
In April, InHandPlus travelled from Seoul, Korea to Barking to test their device with local residents. Hwiwon Lee, CEO of InHandPlus, wanted to uncover usability issues and cultural differences in order to improve the smartwatch in preparation for a UK market entry. Working with the Adult Social Care Accelerator, InHandPlus were able to design a usability test to understand how it is perceived and used in a UK context.
To gather data about the efficacy of the smartwatch and gather feedback on the device, eleven Barking residents trialled the smartwatch for five days, wearing it in the course of their normal routines, and taking a placebo medicine.
InHandPlus learned that people were less used to wearing and using smartwatches compared to cohorts of users in Seoul and that there were some issues around battery life and connectivity. These insights are being used to inform the design of the next generation of InHandPlus smartwatch.
InHandPlus plan to enter the UK market and, having identified issues through the usability testing, will address them ahead of a clinical trial.
About the Adult Social Care Accelerator
As our over-65 population continues to expand and more of those individuals face chronic conditions that require long-term care, the UK care system faces increased pressure. We believe that technology can help ease this crisis by helping elderly people stay independent for longer and by reducing the burden on carers.
The Adult Social Care Accelerator is an innovation accelerator that tests new technologies from around the world with a network of forward-thinking care providers. The Accelerator scales the most impactful solutions across the care ecosystem by connecting corporates, local authorities, and the communities we serve.