Sensor monitoring to measure and support daily functioning for independently living older people: a systematic review and road map for further development.
OBJECTIVE
To study sensor monitoring (use of a sensor network placed in the home environment to observe individuals' daily functioning (activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living)) as a method to measure and support daily functioning for older people living independently at home.


METHODS
Systematic review.


METHODS
Participants' homes.


METHODS
Community-dwelling individuals aged 65 and older.


METHODS
A systematic search in PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, INSPEC, and The Cochrane Library was performed for articles published between 2000 and October 2012. All study designs, studies that described the use of wireless sensor monitoring to measure or support daily functioning for independently living older people, studies that included community-dwelling individuals aged 65 and older, and studies that focused on daily functioning as a primary outcome measure were included.


RESULTS
Seventeen articles met the inclusion criteria. Nine studies used sensor monitoring solely as a method for measuring daily functioning and detecting changes in daily functioning. These studies focused on the technical investigation of the sensor monitoring method used. The other studies investigated clinical applications in daily practice. The sensor data could enable healthcare professionals to detect alert conditions and periods of decline and could enable earlier intervention, although limited evidence of the effect of interventions was found in these studies because of a lack of high methodological quality.


CONCLUSIONS
Studies on the effectiveness of sensor monitoring to support people in daily functioning remain scarce. A road map for further development is proposed.
Research Group of Participation and the Environment, Hogeschool van Amsterdam, University of Applied Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Margriet C
MC
Pol
Research Group of Participation and the Environment, Hogeschool van Amsterdam, University of Applied Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Soemitro
S
Poerbodipoero
Research Group Digital Life, Hogeschool van Amsterdam, University of Applied Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Saskia
S
Robben
Medical Library AMC, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Joost
J
Daams
Research Group of Participation and the Environment, Hogeschool van Amsterdam, University of Applied Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Margo
M
van Hartingsveldt
Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Rien
R
de Vos
Section of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Sophia E
SE
de Rooij
Research Group Digital Life, Hogeschool van Amsterdam, University of Applied Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Ben
B
Kröse
Section of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Bianca M
BM
Buurman
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006801:Humans; D057187:Independent Living; D018670:Monitoring, Ambulatory / Q000379:methods*; D059015:Wireless Technology