Medicine's BFF: How the Biometrics of Facial Rec and Fingerprints Improve Compliance

Technology has transformed the way that we as humans do life on a daily basis. Healthcare is no exception. Let’s play a game. I am in the bathroom/kitchen, I can store things and I am hidden, what am I? Let me introduce the MediCabi, a smart medicine cabinet. Think about a cabinet that does much more than house your medications but actually helps administer dosages, alerts the pharmacy about needed refills, and warns about potentially bad reactions with prescribed or other medicines. The MediCabi will improve medication compliance, enhance patient safety, and communication within the healthcare system. Medication errors harm about 1.5 million patients per year and is the eighth leading cause of death in the United States (Vivian, 2024).

The MediCabi acts as a personal, automated system for managing one's medicines. This means that during the initial setup, the user would provide key information like their name, age, current doctor and pharmacist addresses. This will attach the MediCabi to the patient’s medical records and prescriptions for accurate dispensing and monitoring medicines in pill form only. As a result, the MediCabi will make use of various technologies in managing the medication, including automated dispensers, barcode scanners that align the medicine with the correct pharmacy, and biometric technologies. Facial recognition and fingerprints of the patient are necessary to access the MediCabi. It would dispense the prescribed medication at the appropriate time, with reminders and instructions on how to take the medicine. This guarantees better medication compliance and helps to prevent medication overuse. It would also track the remaining quantity of the medication and automatically send alerts to the patient and the pharmacy when refills are due and ready for pick-up by the patient. More importantly, the MediCabi would prevent dangerous interactions between different medications. This helps prevent medication misuse. The MediCabi would compare the patient’s medication list against a comprehensive drug database, be able to identify potential drug interactions and warn both the patient and their doctor about the possibility of a harmful reaction or misuse. The remote monitoring feature would also allow doctors to monitor medication compliance. For example, the doctor's office would be alerted if the patient misses three doses in a week. This data exchange could go a long way in improving patient outcomes, especially for patients with chronic conditions requiring complex medication regimens such as patients with Alzheimer’s and dementia.

The advantages of this system are undeniable. Medication compliance, one of the biggest challenges in healthcare, could be significantly improved with the MediCabi. This could lead to better disease management and reduce hospitalizations. The MediCabi makes communication processes between patients, doctors, and pharmacies easier, minimizing administrative burdens and enhancing efficiency. According to Vivian (2024), failure to prescribe, dispense, or administer a medication, giving medication at the wrong time, wrong dose prescription or preparation, administration errors and a patient’s medical condition or potential drug interactions not considered are examples of prescribing and managerial medication errors. Medication errors by patients include medication administration, medication filling and refilling, inability to follow specific portions of the medication regimen and not disclosing information to providers (Vivian, 2024). The MediCabi itself corrects medication errors made by patients and because the MediCabi is in the home of the patient, managerial medication errors are addressed.

The MediCabi, like other technological advancements, raises important questions about privacy, security, and the potential for misuse in their applications. Turning this vision into reality has several challenges. Probably the most serious concern surrounds data security and privacy. By design, the MediCabi will store sensitive personal information, such as demographics, medical history, prescriptions, and medical providers information. This makes MediCabi a target for identity theft,viruses, manipulation in medication dispensing and customer dissatisfaction. Securing this data requires an integration of automated security measures within the software used in the MediCabi. Examples of security measures include strong passwords and WiFi, multi-factor authentication, biometric technology such as facial recognition and/or fingerprint. Additionally, clear regulations and protocols are required for governing the processes of data access, sharing, and storage to ensure the privacy of patients and prevent misutilization.

Besides the threat of external attacks, there is also a possibility of internal misuse like unauthorized access by family members, caregivers, or hackers that may result in accidental or intentional overdoses, medication theft, or tampering. Such risks call for strict access controls and tamper proof mechanisms. The use of biometric technology helps to safeguard against these concerns.

Other challenges of the MediCabi include potential for technological malfunctions, costs and usability with all populations. Software glitches such as mechanical failures could disrupt medication dispensing, leading to missed doses or overdoses. Therefore, MediCabi’s can charge like cellular devices and is less likely to be impacted by brief power outages. Repetition systems, backup power supplies, and careful testing are crucial to reduce these risks. The cost of the MediCabi can be expensive for many individuals, further aggravating healthcare imbalances including equity and access. Older adults or individuals with limited technological literacy may struggle to operate the system effectively and will require additional support and training.

Adoption of MediCabi into healthcare systems may cause ethical dilemmas. For example, the monitoring of patients' medication compliance could be perceived as intrusive and destructive to patient autonomy and trust. As a result clear guidelines should be brought forth to balance the benefits from remote monitoring with respect for patient privacy and individual choice.

In conclusion, MediCabi is both an exciting and complicated innovation in healthcare. While the potential to improve medication compliance, increase safety, and direct communication with medical providers is irrefutable, realizing this potential requires consideration of associated risks. Only by addressing the challenges of data security, technological reliability, equity, and ethical considerations will this powerful tool serve its intended purpose to improve patient health and well being without compromising individual rights and privacy. The future of MediCabi links our ability to navigate these complexities and develop a system that is both effective and ethically sustainable.

Reference:
Vivian, J. C. (2024). Medication Errors and Liability Issues. US Pharm., 49(9), 43–46. https://www.uspharmacist.com/article/medication-errors-and-liability-issues