Evaluating Elders' Bio-Psycho-Social Health Dimensions Using Their Smartphones

Abstract

The percentage of elder people in developed countries is increasing rapidly. A high percentage of them usually present multiple and chronic diseases. A patient with several diseases requires specific and coordinated care that is difficult to configure. Different frameworks can evaluate their functional status and identify the required care, together with the associated cost to the health system. Nevertheless, these frameworks are usually questionnaires that have to be periodically performed by the patients with the assistance of already overloaded professionals. In this chapter, the authors make use of mobile technologies to build a system capable of monitoring the activities of the elderly and analysing these data to assess their bio-psycho-social status. The experiments carried out show us that it correctly evaluates these patients and reduces the effort required by health professionals.