Improving medication adherence through user experience: A qualitative study of smart pill box designs

Smart pill boxes are designed to support medication management, yet their value depends on how well they fit users' daily routines, abilities, and expectations. This qualitative study explored younger and older adults' user experience (UX) of smart pill boxes using Morville's User Experience Honeycomb model. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 participants, comprising 20 younger adults aged 18–49 years and 10 older adults aged 50 years or above. Thematic analysis was used to identify shared and age-specific concerns across the seven Honeycomb dimensions. The findings showed that both age groups valued smart pill boxes for practical medication management, especially reminders and help with organizing medication. Meanwhile, users described three recurring barriers. They found some devices burdensome to operate, insufficiently clear at the time of dosing, and difficult to fully trust when reliability or privacy was uncertain. Younger users tended to prefer flexible and connected functions, such as repeated or error reminders, refill support, and smartphone integration. In contrast, older users emphasized predictable operation, adequate compartment capacity, physical ease of use, and trust in storing medication in the device. Beyond these functional concerns, the device also provided perceived value by fostering habit formation, aiding medication planning, and promoting a sense of security. These findings suggest that smart pill boxes should not be designed merely as reminder devices, but as everyday medication-management tools that integrate digital alerts with trustworthy physical storage. Future designs should prioritize reliable core functions and layered interaction options to accommodate diverse user requirements across age groups.