Smartphone Technology and falls rehabilitation

Healthcare professionals are always looking for ways that they can improve the lives and health of their patients, including research studies. Below are details of a study currently looking for volunteers.  Please use the contact details at the end of the page for more information.

Study title:

Smartphone Technology and falls rehabilitation: Can smartphone technology assist in delivering effective one-to-one and group home exercise to prevent falls for older adults?

Background

Falls lead to injury, loss of independence and death for older adults. Targeted home-exercise, including exercises to strengthen muscles and improve balance, is proven to prevent falls. However, older adults do not always maintain their exercises nor do them regularly enough to gain the benefits.

Many healthcare services do not offer adequate support to enable older adults to carry out the exercises regularly enough, or for a long enough period of time. One-to one and group exercise delivered by health professionals through teleconferencing using everyday technology (smartphone) in people’s homes could be a solution.

What is the aim of the study?

The aim of the study is to reduce the number of falls by delivering more regular exercise opportunities and additional health professional support whilst promoting adherence through ‘virtual’ group support and motivational messages.

Overview:

The study will use a smartphone system that assess function and act as a falls detector/alarm system, developed through an EC funded project (FARSEEING).

The system will be updated to include additional applications such as the use of teleconferencing. Users will wear the smartphone and the app will be used to detect falls, act as an alert system, assess function and record home exercise and provide feedback to users to help them with their motivation to exercise.

A group of 20 older adults will be identified by Central Manchester Falls Service as patients who normally require home exercise, who will test the technology, alongside health professionals for 3 weeks.

Interviews will be held during this testing to gain feedback and make any changes needed, in order to prepare for a feasibility trial.

To talk to someone within the falls team, please email Ellen.martinez@cmft.nhs.uk or call 0161 209 9962/9960