Table 5.
Advantages and disadvantages of fifteen types of cognitive artifacts used by patients.
| Artifact | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|
| Blood pressure cuff | Easy to use, numbered scale | Need to interpret, calibration issues |
| Scale | Familiar; available; easy to use; numbered scale; clear rules for action (if known) | Rules for action not always known; difficult to use if physical disability or vision problem; calibration issues |
| Pulse oximeter | Numbered scale, small and portable | Need to interpret; reliability issues |
| Left atrial pressure monitor | Suggests action; uses real time, personalized, and longitudinal data | Requires surgical implant; must be trained to use; may promote overdependence |
| Health telemetry | Real time output; efficient and low-burden | Requires special equipment, training, and staff effort |
| Paper weight & blood pressure logs | Adaptable; longitudinal; inexpensive | Burdensome; rely on memory and motivation; can be lost; not real time; provide no action/decision support |
| Paper medication lists (printed, handwritten) | Useful; flexible; portable; easily updated or recreated | Legibility issues; multiple versions; not always clear; must be updated; may promote overdependence |
| Appointment books, calendars, notes | Easily available; flexible; personal | Not permanent; not standardized; not easily shared; hard to search |
| Patient portal/personal health records | Speed of access; fast, secure communication; connected to verified health data | Requires computer skills; access issues; use of clinical language |
| Prescription medication bottles | Accurate; up to date; standardized | Difficult to open; label visibility and legibility |
| Pill Organizer | Reduces effort; provides feedback; simplifies refill planning | Not adaptable; feedback is delayed, passive; pills in box become separated from original containers |
| Other containers: baskets, Bags, drawers, cabinets | Flexible; sometimes portable; usually available; personalized | Large, take up space; larger containers are less portable |
| Medication inserts; books; brochures | Available; inexpensive; sometimes accurate | Can be out-of-date; can be lost, damaged; require health literacy |
| Internet | Flexible; useful; high volume of information; potential for interaction | Credibility issues; access and cost issues; requires skills; not personalized; unfiltered; commercial |
| Television advertisements | Accessible; clear; often repeated | Credibility issues; not personalized; hard to interpret; commercial |