title: Study protocol of a randomized clinical trial evaluating the effectiveness of a primary care intervention using the Nintendo™ Wii console to improve balance and decrease falls in the elderly.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Balance alteration is a risk factor for falls in elderly individuals that has physical, psychological and economic consequences. The objectives of this study are to evaluate the usefulness of an intervention utilizing the Nintendo™ Wii console in order to improve balance, thereby decreasing both the fear of falling as well as the number of falls, and to evaluate the correlation between balance as determined by the console and the value obtained in the Tinetti tests and the one foot stationary test.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a controlled, randomized clinical trial of individual assignment, carried out on patients over 70 years in age, from five primary care centers in the city of Mataró (Barcelona). 380 patients were necessary for the intervention group that carried out the balance board exercises in 2 sessions per week for a 3 month period, and 380 patients in the control group who carried out their usual habits. Balance was evaluated using the Tinetti test, the one foot stationary test and with the console, at the start of the study, at the end of the intervention (3 months) and one year later. Quarterly telephone follow-up was also conducted to keep track of falls and their consequences.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study aimed to connect the community with a technology that may be an easy and fun way to assist the elderly in improving their balance without the need to leave home or join rehabilitation groups, offering greater comfort for this population and decreasing healthcare costs since there is no need for specialized personnel.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Current Control Trial NCT02570178.
authors.affiliation: Primary Healthcare Research Support Unit Metropolitana Nord, Institute of Primary Care Research (IDIAP) Jordi Gol, Calle Major 49-53, 08921, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Spain. pmontero.bnm.ics@gencat.cat.|Primary Healthcare Centre Riera (Mataró 1), Catalan Health Institute, Calle Ronda Prim 35, 08302, Mataró, Spain. pmontero.bnm.ics@gencat.cat.
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Montero-Alía
authors.affiliation: Primary Healthcare Research Support Unit Metropolitana Nord, Institute of Primary Care Research (IDIAP) Jordi Gol, Calle Major 49-53, 08921, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Spain. lmunoz.bnm.ics@gencat.cat.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Muñoz-Ortiz
authors.affiliation: Primary Healthcare Centre Riera (Mataró 1), Catalan Health Institute, Calle Ronda Prim 35, 08302, Mataró, Spain. mjimenezg.bnm.ics@gencat.cat.
authors.forename: Mercè
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jiménez-González
authors.affiliation: Primary Healthcare Centre Rocafonda (Mataró 3), Catalan Health Institute, Ronda Pintor Rafael Estrany 24, 08320, Mataró, Spain. cbenedicto.bnm.ics@gencat.cat.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Benedicto-Pañell
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Carretera de Canyet s/n, 08916, Badalona, Spain. saltimir.germanstrias@gencat.cat.
authors.forename: Salvador
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Altimir-Losada
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Carretera de Canyet s/n, 08916, Badalona, Spain. iolanda.lc@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Yolanda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: López-Colomer
authors.affiliation: Residència de Gent Gran del Institut Català d'Assistència i Serveis Socials (ICASS), Gatassa 43, 08303, Mataró, Spain. josep.pratro@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Josep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Prat-Rovira
authors.affiliation: Primary Healthcare Centre Gatassa (Radiologia), Catalan Health Institute, Camí del Mig 36, 08303, Mataró, Spain. joan.amargant@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Joan Francesc
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Amargant-Rubio
authors.affiliation: Primary Healthcare Centre El Masnou, Catalan Health Institute, Calle de Sant Miquel 125, 08320, El Masnou, Spain. sheilajastes@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Sheila Mendes
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Jastes
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Barcelona, Avenida Diagonal 690, 08034, Barcelona, Spain. anamorenobuitrago84@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moreno-Buitrago
authors.affiliation: Primary Healthcare Centre Riera (Mataró 1), Catalan Health Institute, Calle Ronda Prim 35, 08302, Mataró, Spain. crodriguez.bnm.ics@gencat.cat.
authors.forename: M Carmen
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Pérez
authors.affiliation: Primary Healthcare Centre Ronda Cerdanya (Mataró 5), Catalan Health Institute, Calle del Vallès 37, 08304, Mataró, Spain. cteixido.bnm.ics@gencat.cat.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Teixidó-Vargas
authors.affiliation: Primary Healthcare Centre El Masnou, Catalan Health Institute, Calle de Sant Miquel 125, 08320, El Masnou, Spain. jl.albarran74@gmail.com.
authors.forename: José Luís
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Albarrán-Sánchez
authors.affiliation: Primary Healthcare Centre Riera (Mataró 1), Catalan Health Institute, Calle Ronda Prim 35, 08302, Mataró, Spain. annacandel@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Candel-Gil
authors.affiliation: Primary Healthcare Centre Riera (Mataró 1), Catalan Health Institute, Calle Ronda Prim 35, 08302, Mataró, Spain. iderawan@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Domènec
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Serra-Serra
authors.affiliation: Primary Healthcare Centre Riera (Mataró 1), Catalan Health Institute, Calle Ronda Prim 35, 08302, Mataró, Spain. jmarticervantes@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Juan José
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Martí-Cervantes
authors.affiliation: Primary Healthcare Centre Riera (Mataró 1), Catalan Health Institute, Calle Ronda Prim 35, 08302, Mataró, Spain. carlossa25@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Carlos Andrés
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Pérez
authors.affiliation: Primary Healthcare Centre Riera (Mataró 1), Catalan Health Institute, Calle Ronda Prim 35, 08302, Mataró, Spain. lydia.sanudo@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Lidia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sañudo-Blanco
authors.affiliation: Primary Healthcare Centre Riera (Mataró 1), Catalan Health Institute, Calle Ronda Prim 35, 08302, Mataró, Spain. soniadolader@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sònia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dolader-Olivé
authors.affiliation: Primary Healthcare Research Support Unit Metropolitana Nord, Institute of Primary Care Research (IDIAP) Jordi Gol, Calle Major 49-53, 08921, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Spain. ptoran.bnm.ics@gencat.cat.
authors.forename: Pere
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Torán-Monserrat
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018910:Video Games