title: A pilot study testing a fall prevention intervention for older adults: determining the feasibility of a five-sensor motion detection system.
abstract: Interventions to prevent hospital-based falls in older adults are critically important to reduce morbidity, mortality, and health care costs. The purpose of this pilot study was to test the accuracy and acceptability of a wireless five-sensor motion detection system (5S-MDS) for detecting falls. Wearable motion sensors, which measure and integrate movement in space, may identify human movement patterns that immediately precede falls, thus allowing prevention. However, sensors must be accurate, and older adults must find wearable sensors acceptable. This descriptive feasibility study recruited 5 healthy older adults (mean age = 69.6) who wore the 5S-MDS while performing 35 movement scenarios. All participants agreed the sensors were acceptable, and skin integrity was maintained for all. The 5S-MDS accurately reflected the patients' movements and was found acceptable to the older adults; thus, the 5S-MDS has potential as an early warning system for falls.
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. maferrar@umich.edu
authors.forename: Marisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ferrari
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.forename: Osamah
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Rawashdeh
authors.forename: Muawea
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rawashdeh
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hammond
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maddens
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009038:Motion; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012637:Security Measures