ABSTRACT

This chapter focuses on smart medical homes and the potential to support independent living for older adults and medically fragile individuals. However, to be effective, smart medical homes technology needs to be developed with user input and careful attention to user feedback, since technology use patterns of developers are typically different from those of users. The chapter discusses the technological challenges of smart medical home technologies, such as energy efficiency, interoperability, and data security, as well as non-technical challenges, such as potential users' trust and privacy concerns. It argues that potential benefits of smart medical homes are numerous, to avoid dystopian outcomes in real life, these ethical concerns should be taken very seriously. A smart medical home is a residential environment that uses technology to collect and monitor data related to its residents’ health, comfort, security, and well-being and responds in ways that protect, support, and promote these characteristics.