TY - JOUR
T1 - Assistive technologies and strategies to support the medication management of individuals with hearing and/or visual impairment
T2 - a scoping review
AU - Cooper, Lesley
AU - Fuzesi, Peter
AU - Jacob, Sabrina Anne
AU - Kamalakannan, Sureshkumar
AU - Lennon, Marilyn
AU - Macaden, Leah
AU - Smith, Annetta
AU - Welsh, Tomas
AU - Broadfoot, Kirsten
AU - Watson, Margaret C.
N1 - Funding information: Research funded by Dunhill Medical Trust (RPGF2002/186).
PY - 2023/10/1
Y1 - 2023/10/1
N2 - Background: Individuals with sensory impairment (visual and/or hearing) experience health inequalities and increased the risk of medication-related iatrogenic disease compared with the general population. Assistive technologies and tailored strategies could support medication management for individuals with sensory impairment to reduce harm and increase the likelihood of therapeutic benefit. Objective: This scoping review identified assistive technologies and strategies to support medication management of/for people with hearing and/or visual impairment. Methods: Standard scoping review methodology was used to identify studies that evaluated technologies or strategies designed to support people with sensory impairment with independent medicine management. Electronic databases were searched (MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, ACM, Cochrane) from inception to 18/07/22. Independent duplicate screening, selection, and data extraction were undertaken. Results: Of 1231 publications identified, 18 were included, reporting 17 studies, 16 of which evaluated technologies to assist people with visual impairment and one study to assist people with hearing impairment. The range of technologies and devices included: applications for android phones (n = 6); eyedrop-assistance devices (n = 5); audio-prescription labelling/reading systems (n = 2); touch-to-speech devices (n = 2); continuous glucose monitoring system (n = 1); magnifying technology (n = 1). Ten studies tested early-stage prototypes. Most participants could operate the technologies effectively and deemed them to be useful. Conclusions: Despite the increasing number of medicine-related assistive technologies, there has been limited empirical evaluation of their effectiveness for supporting individuals with sensory impairment. Prototypes appear to be useful for people with visual or hearing impairment, however wider ‘real-life’ testing is needed to confirm the benefits of these technologies.
AB - Background: Individuals with sensory impairment (visual and/or hearing) experience health inequalities and increased the risk of medication-related iatrogenic disease compared with the general population. Assistive technologies and tailored strategies could support medication management for individuals with sensory impairment to reduce harm and increase the likelihood of therapeutic benefit. Objective: This scoping review identified assistive technologies and strategies to support medication management of/for people with hearing and/or visual impairment. Methods: Standard scoping review methodology was used to identify studies that evaluated technologies or strategies designed to support people with sensory impairment with independent medicine management. Electronic databases were searched (MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, ACM, Cochrane) from inception to 18/07/22. Independent duplicate screening, selection, and data extraction were undertaken. Results: Of 1231 publications identified, 18 were included, reporting 17 studies, 16 of which evaluated technologies to assist people with visual impairment and one study to assist people with hearing impairment. The range of technologies and devices included: applications for android phones (n = 6); eyedrop-assistance devices (n = 5); audio-prescription labelling/reading systems (n = 2); touch-to-speech devices (n = 2); continuous glucose monitoring system (n = 1); magnifying technology (n = 1). Ten studies tested early-stage prototypes. Most participants could operate the technologies effectively and deemed them to be useful. Conclusions: Despite the increasing number of medicine-related assistive technologies, there has been limited empirical evaluation of their effectiveness for supporting individuals with sensory impairment. Prototypes appear to be useful for people with visual or hearing impairment, however wider ‘real-life’ testing is needed to confirm the benefits of these technologies.
KW - Assistive technologies
KW - Hearing impairment
KW - Medication therapy management
KW - Scoping review
KW - Visual impairment
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85165340926&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.dhjo.2023.101500
DO - 10.1016/j.dhjo.2023.101500
M3 - Review article
SN - 1936-6574
VL - 16
JO - Disability and Health Journal
JF - Disability and Health Journal
IS - 4
M1 - 101500
ER -
