Monitoring falls in elderly people: Lessons from a community-based project
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Date
2014
Authors
Pirnejad, H
Huq, G
Basilakis, J
Maeder, Anthony
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
IOS Press
Rights
© 2014 The authors and IOS Press.
Rights Holder
The authors and IOS Press.
Abstract
Objectives. This paper describes an evaluation of a community-based
fall-detection project using smart phone based tri-axial accelerometry to identify
factors that affect adoption and use of such technology by elderly people. Methods.
A mixed methods study using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews was
conducted to evaluate attitudes of the elderly people participating, as well as
project stakeholders involved in the project. Information registered in a web-based
fall management system was analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively, using
an adapted version of Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology
(UTAUT). Results. Adoption rate was 61.7% and attrition rate was 57%, the most
common reasons for attrition being health deterioration (50%) and problems with
the device and the network (26.2%). Conclusion. We identified a number of
challenges that affected the success of this project, including problems with the
software, usability issues with the device, coverage of the network, training of
participants, and
Description
This article is published online with Open Access by IOS Press and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License.
Keywords
Tri-axial accelerometer, Falls, Telemonitoring, Elderly people
Citation
Pirnejad, H., Huq, G., Basilakis, J. and Maeder, A.J. (2014). Monitoring falls in elderly people: Lessons from a community-based project. In Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Global Telehealth. The Netherlands: IOS Press. 3rd International Conference on Global Telehealth. Durban, South Africa. Nov 2014, pp. 50-61.