Museum of Science and Industry

One problem we may face as we get older is the problem of remembering to take our pills. There have been many strides in creating technology-based programs to help patients (such as elderly patients) remember to get their medication. However, a new idea takes the reminder into the realm of sci-fi movies: pills that actually text your healthcare provider.

The FDA recently approved pills that seem futuristic: they contain a tiny microchip that creates voltage as it interacts with your digestive juices. This signals a patch on your skin to send a message to your healthcare provider. Currently limited to use with placebos, in time this method might not only just remind patients to take their medications. Confirming if and when medications are being taken may also help doctors better understand if they're effective or need to be adjusted.

So what do you think? A great stride of technology you're willing to try? Or does the thought of putting a microchip in your body seem a little tough to swallow?

Approved: The First Swallowable Electronic Devices [PopSci]

Image: Proteus Biomedical