Social and Ethical Implications

Reflection on the device designed and built has brought about the consideration of potential social, ethical implications, both beneficial and otherwise. This device was designed with the goal of extending the period of time that a person may be independent. The greater monitoring capabilities of user activity not only allows for increased peace of mind for the caregiver but could assist in the earlier identification of medication non-compliance trends. There is also the added benefit of reduced stress for the user once they can rely on the device to alert them of proper medication times and dosages.

The possible concerns are that a caregiver may wrongly assume that the medication taking activity is fully taken care of with this device. Confusion about the meaning of the alerts coming from the device could also cause issues. For this reason, it must be stressed that the user be regularly checked in with for understanding of the proper operation of the pill box.