Abstract
Residents living in a nursing home usually have established medical histories in multiple sources, and most previous medicine management systems have only focused on the integration of prescriptions and the identification of repeated drug uses. Therefore, a comprehensive medicine management system is proposed to integrate medical information from different sources. The proposed system not only detects inappropriate drugs automatically but also allows users to input such information for any non-prescription medicines that the residents take. Every participant can fully track the residents' latest medicine use online and in real time. Pharmacists are able to issue requests for suggestions on medicine use, and residents can also have a comprehensive understanding of their medicine use. The proposed scheme has been practically implemented in a nursing home in Taiwan. The evaluation results show that the average time to detect an inappropriate drug use and complete a medicine record is reduced. With automatic and precise comparisons, the repeated drugs and drug side effects are identified effectively such that the amount of medicine cost spent on the residents is also reduced. Consequently, the proactive feedback, real-time tracking, and interactive consulting mechanisms bind all parties together to realize a comprehensive medicine management system.
