Abstract
Passive monitoring technologies that can be embedded into the residential infrastructure have introduced new functionalities for “smart homes” that can facilitate health monitoring and promote well-being and safety of occupants. In this chapter we review emerging trends in smart home systems for health and safety and discuss clinical, technical and ethical implications. We present a case study of Sense4Safety, a technology supported nursing intervention targeting fall risk management among older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in low resource settings. More specifically, this system links at-risk older adults with a nurse tele-coach who guides them in implementing evidence-based individualized plans to reduce fall risks. The system employs machine learning techniques to inform individualized plans to reduce fall risk and identify escalating risks for falls through real-time in-home passive monitoring. Using this system as an example, we highlight the potential of smart home technologies to facilitate health management and promote safety for various populations with diverse needs and cognitive and functional abilities. We discuss a framework to assess obtrusiveness of smart home technologies and identify ethical implications, highlighting the role of behavioral sensing and passive monitoring in the design of personal health informatics tools.
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Demiris, G., Richmond, T.S., Hodgson, N.A. (2022). Smart Homes for Personal Health and Safety. In: Hsueh, PY.S., Wetter, T., Zhu, X. (eds) Personal Health Informatics. Cognitive Informatics in Biomedicine and Healthcare. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-07696-1_3
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