Can older people remember medication reminders presented using synthetic speech?

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Health Informatics
• Speech Technology

Background:

• Medication adherence is crucial for older adults, often requiring complex regimens.
• Synthetic speech offers customizable medication reminders but may pose intelligibility challenges.
• Older adults may struggle with recalling spoken reminders, impacting adherence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate older adults' recall of synthetic speech medication reminders.
• To determine factors influencing recall, including voice type, background noise, and message design.
• To assess the effectiveness of synthetic speech for medication adherence interventions.

Main Methods:

• 44 participants (aged 50-80, no cognitive impairment) recalled medication reminders.
• Reminders were presented using human and two synthetic voices.
• Variables included background noise, speech quality, message complexity (1 vs. 4 medications), and repetition.

Main Results:

• Recall was satisfactory for single, familiar medications irrespective of voice.
• Repeating medication names improved recall for lists of medications.
• Background noise and speech quality did not significantly impair recall for single medications.

Conclusions:

• Spoken medication reminders are effective for older adults when based on familiar information.
• Repeating medication names enhances recall for complex regimens.
• Synthetic speech reminders can be integrated into adherence support, but should complement other strategies.