A sociable robotic aide for medication adherence

Abstract

In the United States, approximately 125,000 people die each year due to complications related to medication adherence, which costs the country approximately $100 - $300 billion dollars annually. The problem of medication adherence stems largely from people either having too many medications, causing confusion and making management harder, or taking larger dosages than prescribed. We propose a solution for improving medication adherence using a physically embodied social robot as a motivating factor. In particular, the robot's interaction will be similar to that of a digital pet game, except users will care for the pet by caring for themselves (i.e., taking their medication.) The robot will also leverage social-network support factors to promote the emotional and positive affective behaviors of patients.