Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

'Smart home' technology may change life for those with severe mental illnesses: Local researchers

High-tech smart home devices could be helpful in keeping people with severe mental illnesses living safely and happily on their own, London researchers say.

A study team at Lawson Health Research Institute – the research arm of London’s hospitals – has outfitted eight affordable housing units at Canadian Mental Health Association Middlesex and London and Middlesex Community Housing with smart home devices.

Smart home technology available on the market allows people to control remotely many things – including home security systems, heating and lighting – with their smartphone or computer. Researchers have adapted the remote technology to meet the needs of vulnerable patients who have difficulty managing everyday tasks on their own.

“This isn’t just for anyone with mental illness,” said Cheryl Forchuk, who led the smart home project. “They have severe mental illness, they often have other physical health problems. They have problems with memory or organization.”

Study participants will have access to several different high-tech devices, including smartphones and touch-screen monitors for video-conferencing with their care providers, questionnaires and care plan reminders. Depending on the patient’s individual needs, the smart home units  also may have automated medication dispensers and weigh scales, blood pressure monitors and blood sugar monitoring devices connected to the system.

Study participants also may get text message reminders to take their medication or use tracking monitors to measure heart rate, physical activity and sleep patterns.

The private data is relayed remotely to the patient’s team of health care providers. The research team is using computer programs developed by InputHealth, a medical technology company already involved in another Lawson pilot project to test if a mobile app improves mental health access for youth.

“This test is really interesting because these represent major gaps in health care delivery,” said Puneet Seth, chief medical officer at InputHealth. “These are some of the most vulnerable populations that there are so if there’s a way in which our platform can be meaningfully helpful to those populations, all the better.”

With every device and digital platform, the team is taking steps to make sure personal health data is stored and transferred securely, Forchuk said.

The study will test how effective the high-tech intervention is at improving overall patient wellbeing and reducing repeat psychiatric hospital admissions and emergency room visits for mental health reasons.
Researchers tested out the smart home concept at two in-hospital, apartment-style units at St. Joseph’s Health Care London before rolling it out into the community. If the research project proves successful, the digital strategy could be expanded to more patients, Forchuk said.

Four people already are enrolled in the study, which will take more than a year to complete.

This project is funded through the Canadian Institutes for Health Research – the federal agency that funds health and medical studies – the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. and Age-Well, a national aging and technology association.


AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
×