"How might we improve medication adherence among the elderly population in Northern Ireland?"

As per WHO, medical adherence is the degree to which the person's behaviour corresponds with the agreed recommendations from a healthcare provider. Non‑adherence may limit the benefits of medicines, resulting in a lack of improvement, or deterioration, in health. The economic costs are not limited to wasted medicines but also include the knock‑on costs arising from increased demands for healthcare if health deteriorates.

Description: The research will focus on exploring and implementing solutions to enhance medication adherence among elderly individuals in Northern Ireland. The study aims to identify the challenges faced by the elderly in managing their medication regimen and investigate the potential benefits of using technology-based interventions to address these issues.

By focusing on technology-enabled solutions, this research aims to provide practical and innovative approaches to support elderly individuals in managing their medications conveniently and on time, thus promoting better health outcomes and quality of life for this vulnerable population.

Key Objectives of the project:

1. Understanding Medication Adherence Challenges: Identify the barriers and challenges faced by elderly individuals in Northern Ireland when it comes to taking their medications on time and consistently. This can include factors such as forgetfulness, complex medication regimens, difficulty in handling medications, and lack of support.
2. Exploring Technology-Based Interventions: Investigate various technology-enabled solutions, including mobile applications, smart pill organizers, voice-activated reminders, and telehealth platforms, that can assist elderly individuals in managing their medication schedules more effectively. Also conduct user-centric design research to ensure that the technology solutions cater to the specific needs, preferences, and limitations of the elderly population. Gather feedback from elderly users to improve the usability and accessibility of the chosen interventions.

Research- Discovery phase

The phase involved scrutinizing the problem area and providing context-specific insights to guide the creation of effective service solutions.

The research aims to improve medical adherence in the elderly population by exploring and implementing technology-enabled solutions. By using technology-based interventions, I hope to increase digital inclusion, provide convenience and accessibility, empower self-management, offer tailored solutions for the ageing population and gather data-driven insights. The research will focus on identifying the challenges faced by the elderly in managing their medication regimen and investigating the potential benefits of using technology-based interventions to address these issues. Through user-centric design and ethical considerations, my research aims to provide practical and sustainable solutions that empower the elderly to manage their medications effectively, leading to improved adherence and better health outcomes.

What are the usual roadblocks?

Some of the common (assumed) roadblocks that cause problems for an elderly person's medical adherence can include forgetfulness, difficulty in handling medications, complex medication regimens, lack of support, and cognitive or physical impairments that make it challenging to manage medications effectively. Other factors, such as cost, side effects, and access to health care, can also impact medication adherence among the elderly population.

Apart from starting with the desk research, I prepared a survey to understand the situation of patients and what they deal with. Questions involved enquiring how they manage their pills, if they set reminders, how they organise the pills and do they use any apps for this, etc.

Secondary research:

After brainstorming the assumptions that I have about the users, I decided to validate them through surveys and personal interviews. These validations were crucial as they brought into light plenty of information.