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Smart Home Care
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Smart Home Care

A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032). This special issue belongs to the section "Artificial Intelligence in Medicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2021) | Viewed by 29742

Special Issue Editors

Dr. George E. Dafoulas

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larisa, Greece
Interests: systematic reviews; meta-analysis; evidence-based medicine; statistical analysis; data analysis; clinical medicine; health outcomes; healthcare management; health management; research project management; diabetes mellitus; digital health; real-world data; AI; health IoT
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Evdokimos I. Konstantinidis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. European Network of Living Labs-ENoLL, 61210 Brussels, Belgium
2. Lab of Medical Physics and Digital Innovation, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki 541 24, Greece
Interests: digitalization; co-creation; living labs; ICT for active aging
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The challenge of ageing populations has led to the development of technical platforms aiming to support health and care services. Given the effort to move to an in-home care model as much as possible, the contribution of information and communication technologies (ICT)-enabled care can transform modern houses to smart homes able to support the needs of elderly people, chronic patients, and persons in need of guidance and care due to age-related conditions or disabilities. The advances of the 4th Industrial Revolution based on the internet of things (IoT), machine learning (ML), artificial intelligence (AI), and 5G, applied in the health care sector (Health 4.0), also have the ability to transform the provision of health care at home. The advantages of smart home care include the support of the user’s independence, a better quality of life, and a reduced burden for health care settings. On the other hand, the challenges of cost effectiveness, user acceptance and satisfaction, privacy and ethical considerations, and new organization models of smart home care need to be addressed. This Special Issue welcomes contributions of studies focused on these advantages and challenges of Smart Home Care, based on various technological platforms and covering all aspects of care. We are interested in studies and reviews focused on the evaluation of Smart Home Care services, rather than reports of technological breakthroughs.

Dr. George E. Dafoulas
Dr. Evdokimos Konstantinidis
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Data analytics
  • Machine learning
  • Big data
  • Smart health
  • Internet of Medical Things
  • Privacy
  • Health care delivery
  • Global health
  • Medical practice, training, and education
  • Health services research
  • Transitions in healthcare
  • Methods for involving users in the innovation at all stages of the design and development of new healthcare ICT
  • ICT tools for empowering and motivating people to help them improve and maintain their independence, functional capacity, and health status as well as preserving their physical, cognitive, mental, and social well-being

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 3297 KiB  
Article
Ethical Decision Making in Iot Data Driven Research: A Case Study of a Large-Scale Pilot
by Sofia Segkouli, Giuseppe Fico, Cecilia Vera-Muñoz, Mario Lecumberri, Antonis Voulgaridis, Andreas Triantafyllidis, Pilar Sala, Stefano Nunziata, Nadia Campanini, Enrico Montanari, Suzanne Morton, Alexandre Duclos, Francesca Cocchi, Mario Diaz Nava, Trinidad de Lorenzo, Eleni Chalkia, Matina Loukea, Juan Bautista Montalvá Colomer, George E. Dafoulas, Sergio Guillén, María Teresa Arredondo Waldmeyer and Konstantinos Votisadd Show full author list remove Hide full author list
Healthcare 2022, 10(5), 957; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10050957 - 23 May 2022
Viewed by 5116
Abstract
IoT technologies generate intelligence and connectivity and develop knowledge to be used in the decision-making process. However, research that uses big data through global interconnected infrastructures, such as the ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) for Active and Healthy Ageing (AHA), is fraught with several [...] Read more.
IoT technologies generate intelligence and connectivity and develop knowledge to be used in the decision-making process. However, research that uses big data through global interconnected infrastructures, such as the ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) for Active and Healthy Ageing (AHA), is fraught with several ethical concerns. A large-scale application of IoT operating in diverse piloting contexts and case studies needs to be orchestrated by a robust framework to guide ethical and sustainable decision making in respect to data management of AHA and IoT based solutions. The main objective of the current article is to present the successful completion of a collaborative multiscale research work, which addressed the complicated exercise of ethical decision making in IoT smart ecosystems for older adults. Our results reveal that among the strong enablers of the proposed ethical decision support model were the participatory and deliberative procedures complemented by a set of regulatory and non-regulatory tools to operationalize core ethical values such as transparency, trust, and fairness in real care settings for older adults and their caregivers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Home Care)
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18 pages, 607 KiB  
Article
Developing an AI-Enabled Integrated Care Platform for Frailty
by Angelina Kouroubali, Haridimos Kondylakis, Fokion Logothetidis and Dimitrios G. Katehakis
Healthcare 2022, 10(3), 443; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10030443 - 26 Feb 2022
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4467
Abstract
Informal care is considered to be important for the wellbeing and resilience of the elderly. However, solutions for the effective collaboration of healthcare professionals, patients, and informal caregivers are not yet widely available. The purpose of this paper is to present the development [...] Read more.
Informal care is considered to be important for the wellbeing and resilience of the elderly. However, solutions for the effective collaboration of healthcare professionals, patients, and informal caregivers are not yet widely available. The purpose of this paper is to present the development of a digital platform that uses innovative tools and artificial intelligence technologies to support care coordination and shared care planning for elder care, with a particular focus on frailty. The challenges of shared care planning in the coordination of frailty care are demonstrated, followed by presentation of the design and technical architecture of an integrated platform. The platform incorporates all elements essential for the support of daily activities, coordinated care, and timely interventions in case of emergency and need. This paper describes the challenges involved in implementing the platform and concludes by reporting the necessary steps required in order to establish effective smart care for the elderly. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Home Care)
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14 pages, 334 KiB  
Article
Upon Improving the Performance of Localized Healthcare Virtual Assistants
by Nikolaos Malamas, Konstantinos Papangelou and Andreas L. Symeonidis
Healthcare 2022, 10(1), 99; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10010099 - 4 Jan 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3156
Abstract
Virtual assistants are becoming popular in a variety of domains, responsible for automating repetitive tasks or allowing users to seamlessly access useful information. With the advances in Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing, there has been an increasing interest in applying such assistants [...] Read more.
Virtual assistants are becoming popular in a variety of domains, responsible for automating repetitive tasks or allowing users to seamlessly access useful information. With the advances in Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing, there has been an increasing interest in applying such assistants in new areas and with new capabilities. In particular, their application in e-healthcare is becoming attractive and is driven by the need to access medically-related knowledge, as well as providing first-level assistance in an efficient manner. In such types of virtual assistants, localization is of utmost importance, since the general population (especially the aging population) is not familiar with the needed “healthcare vocabulary” to communicate facts properly; and state-of-practice proves relatively poor in performance when it comes to specialized virtual assistants for less frequently spoken languages. In this context, we present a Greek ML-based virtual assistant specifically designed to address some commonly occurring tasks in the healthcare domain, such as doctor’s appointments or distress (panic situations) management. We build on top of an existing open-source framework, discuss the necessary modifications needed to address the language-specific characteristics and evaluate various combinations of word embeddings and machine learning models to enhance the assistant’s behaviour. Results show that we are able to build an efficient Greek-speaking virtual assistant to support e-healthcare, while the NLP pipeline proposed can be applied in other (less frequently spoken) languages, without loss of generality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Home Care)
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10 pages, 8262 KiB  
Article
SmartCards as Analogous Tools to Operate Tablet Computers for Elderly—A Feasibility Study
by Stephanie M. Mueller, Bettina Göttke-Krogmann, Julia Kortus, Melanie Wiechmann, Michael Weber, Sarina Mozek, Wilfried Mau, Andre Golla and Gundula Huebner
Healthcare 2021, 9(9), 1198; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9091198 - 10 Sep 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2570
Abstract
Background: Older adults sometimes shy away from using modern digital communication devices due to lacking experience and fear of failure. Within the present project, SmartCards were developed as analogous means to operate tablet computers for older adults with little previous computer experience. We [...] Read more.
Background: Older adults sometimes shy away from using modern digital communication devices due to lacking experience and fear of failure. Within the present project, SmartCards were developed as analogous means to operate tablet computers for older adults with little previous computer experience. We investigated whether the SmartCards-Tablet-System would (a) increase use of digital communication and (b) affect loneliness, autonomy, cognitive ability and wellbeing of the users. Methods: The suitability and acceptance of the system was evaluated during a three month trial period with seniors in retirement homes, seniors with home assistance care and a waiting control group. Results: Acceptance, duration of use and frequency of use were high in both experimental groups. Cognitive ability significantly improved after three months’ use in both experimental groups. Effects on loneliness, autonomy and wellbeing could not be observed. Discussion: Our results indicate that seniors are very much able and curious to use modern digital devices if the interface and hardware are adjusted to their needs and capabilities without being stigmatizing. The use of modern communication services and the World Wide Web can promote contact of seniors with their (younger) relatives. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Home Care)
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14 pages, 3041 KiB  
Article
Development and Usability Validation of a Social Robot Platform for Physical and Cognitive Stimulation in Elder Care Facilities
by Luis Cobo Hurtado, Pablo Francisco Viñas, Eduardo Zalama, Jaime Gómez-García-Bermejo, José María Delgado and Beatriz Vielba García
Healthcare 2021, 9(8), 1067; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9081067 - 19 Aug 2021
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 3439
Abstract
This article shows our work for developing an elder care platform for social interaction and physical and cognitive stimulation using the Pepper robot and Android OS as clients, based on the knowledge acquired on our long-term social robotics research experience. The first results [...] Read more.
This article shows our work for developing an elder care platform for social interaction and physical and cognitive stimulation using the Pepper robot and Android OS as clients, based on the knowledge acquired on our long-term social robotics research experience. The first results of the user’s acceptance of the solution are presented in this article. The platform is able to provide different services to the user, such as information, news, games, exercises or music. The games, which have a bi-modal way of interacting (speech and a touch screen interface), have been designed for cognitive stimulation based on the items of the mini-mental state examination. The results of the user’s performance are stored in a cloud database and can be reviewed by therapists through a web interface that also allows them to establish customized therapy plans for each user. The platform has been tested and validated, first using adult people and then deployed to an elder care facility where the robot has been interacting with users for a long period of time. The results and feedback received have shown that the robot can help to keep the users physically and mentally active as well as establish an emotional link between the user and the robot. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Home Care)
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11 pages, 391 KiB  
Article
Effects of Tooth Brushing Training, Based on Augmented Reality Using a Smart Toothbrush, on Oral Hygiene Care among People with Intellectual Disability in Korea
by Byoungjin Jeon, Jinseok Oh and Sungmin Son
Healthcare 2021, 9(3), 348; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9030348 - 18 Mar 2021
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4168
Abstract
(1) Purpose: In modern society, augmented reality (AR)-based training using a smart device has emerged as a means of resolving problems with training. Thus, this feasibility study aimed to identify the effects of tooth-brushing training, based on AR using a smart toothbrush, on [...] Read more.
(1) Purpose: In modern society, augmented reality (AR)-based training using a smart device has emerged as a means of resolving problems with training. Thus, this feasibility study aimed to identify the effects of tooth-brushing training, based on AR using a smart toothbrush, on oral hygiene care among people with an intellectual disability in Korea. (2) Methods: Thirty people with an intellectual disability, residing in a residential care facility, were selected. Tooth-brushing training based on AR, using a smart toothbrush, was applied in the experimental group (n = 15), and training using visual material was applied in the control group (n = 15). As an assessment of oral hygiene care, the changes in tooth-brushing performance and oral hygiene were measured. (3) Results: There were significant differences in all results after training between the two groups. (4) Conclusions: Tooth-brushing training based on AR using a smart toothbrush is more effective than training using visual material on oral hygiene care among the subjects of this feasibility study. Thus, training based on AR using a smart toothbrush could be applied to people with intellectual disabilities residing in residential care facilities as an individual tool for tooth-brushing training. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Home Care)
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Review

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21 pages, 29328 KiB  
Review
An Overview of Sensors, Design and Healthcare Challenges in Smart Homes: Future Design Questions
by Badziili Nthubu
Healthcare 2021, 9(10), 1329; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9101329 - 5 Oct 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4683
Abstract
The ageing population increases the demand for customized home care. As a result, sensing technologies are finding their way into the home environment. However, challenges associated with how users interact with sensors and data are not well-researched, particularly from a design perspective. This [...] Read more.
The ageing population increases the demand for customized home care. As a result, sensing technologies are finding their way into the home environment. However, challenges associated with how users interact with sensors and data are not well-researched, particularly from a design perspective. This review explores the literature on important research projects around sensors, design and smart healthcare in smart homes, and highlights challenges for design research. A PRISMA protocol-based screening procedure is adopted to identify relevant articles (n = 180) on the subject of sensors, design and smart healthcare. The exploration and analysis of papers are performed using hierarchical charts, force-directed layouts and ‘bedraggled daisy’ Venn diagrams. The results show that much work has been carried out in developing sensors for smart home care. Less attention is focused on addressing challenges posed by sensors in homes, such as data accessibility, privacy, comfort, security and accuracy, and how design research might solve these challenges. This review raises key design research questions, particularly in working with sensors in smart home environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Home Care)
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