The Problems

• We all know the theory, prescribed antibiotics, as an example, aren’t taken on schedule or the dosage isn’t finished

• Forgetful patients don’t take there dosage on time, (or at all!), causing an effective treatment to be delivered erratically in peaks and troughs that in some cases could be more dangerous than the original ailment

• Patients who suffer unusual side effects are afraid, or can’t be bothered to report them back to the physician until it is much too late and further damage has been done

• Generally, the more serious a patients condition, the less likely they are to be able to follow a rigid regime of multiple prescription drugs.

• How many expensive hospital beds are being used just because we need to be sure that a patient takes their medicine on time, and that the doctor gets any feedback quickly and reliably, (we just need to keep you under observation for a few days!)

• Physicians only generally get feedback on drugs they prescribe if the overall effect is bad. Very little information is gathered about the rate or pattern of recovery

• Clinical trials are of limited benefit as the accuracy of dosage and feedback data is often marred by the inability to collect the data in real-time.

Requirements

• Patients need to be reminded of the specific dosage to take at the time it needs to be taken

• Information about the patients condition needs to be collected as each dose is taken

• The information needs to be made rapidly available to the prescribing physician.

• The physician needs to be able to change the dosage and timing remotely and, if necessary, communicate with the patient directly.