ICT-based system to predict and prevent falls (iStoppFalls): study protocol for an international multicenter randomized controlled trial

BMC Geriatrics

Study Protocol

Mario Drobics¹  Andreas Ejupi¹  Konstantin Aal²  Rainer Wieching²  Helios de Rosario³  Sabine Eichberg⁴  Michael Kroll⁴  Hannah R Marston⁴  Yves J Gschwind⁵  Kim Delbaere⁵  Stephen R Lord⁵  Janneke Annegarn⁶ 

[1] Assisted Healthcare Information Technology Safety and Security Department, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Donau-City-Strasse 1, 1220, Vienna, Austria;Institute for Information Systems, University of Siegen, Hölderlinstrasse 3, 57076, Siegen, Germany;Institute of Biomechanics of Valencia, University Polytechnic of Valencia, Edificio 9C Camino de Vera s/n 46022, Valencia, Spain;Institute of Movement and Sport Gerontology, German Sport University Cologne, Am Sportpark Muengersdorf 6, 50933, Cologne, Germany;Neuroscience Research Australia, University of New South Wales, Barker Street, 2031, Randwick, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia;Personal Health Department, Philips Research Europe, High Tech Campus 34, 5656AE, Eindhoven, The Netherlands;

关键词: Fall prevention;    Fall risk assessment;    Older adults;    Exercise;    Strength;    Balance;    Exergames;    Video games;   

DOI  :  10.1186/1471-2318-14-91

 received in 2014-06-30, accepted in 2014-08-14,  发布年份 2014

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundFalls are very common, especially in adults aged 65 years and older. Within the current international European Commission’s Seventh Framework Program (FP7) project ‘iStoppFalls’ an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) based system has been developed to regularly assess a person’s risk of falling in their own home and to deliver an individual and tailored home-based exercise and education program for fall prevention. The primary aims of iStoppFalls are to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention program, and its effectiveness to improve balance, muscle strength and quality of life in older people.Methods/DesignThis international, multicenter study is designed as a single-blinded, two-group randomized controlled trial. A total of 160 community-dwelling older people aged 65 years and older will be recruited in Germany (n = 60), Spain (n = 40), and Australia (n = 60) between November 2013 and May 2014. Participants in the intervention group will conduct a 16-week exercise program using the iStoppFalls system through their television set at home. Participants are encouraged to exercise for a total duration of 180 minutes per week. The training program consists of a variety of balance and strength exercises in the form of video games using exergame technology. Educational material about a healthy lifestyle will be provided to each participant. Final reassessments will be conducted after 16 weeks. The assessments include physical and cognitive tests as well as questionnaires assessing health, fear of falling, quality of life and psychosocial determinants. Falls will be followed up for six months by monthly falls calendars.DiscussionWe hypothesize that the regular use of this newly developed ICT-based system for fall prevention at home is feasible for older people. By using the iStoppFalls sensor-based exercise program, older people are expected to improve in balance and strength outcomes. In addition, the exercise training may have a positive impact on quality of life by reducing the risk of falls. Taken together with expected cognitive improvements, the individual approach of the iStoppFalls program may provide an effective model for fall prevention in older people who prefer to exercise at home.Trial registrationAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry Trial ID: ACTRN12614000096651.International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number: ISRCTN15932647.

【 授权许可】

Unknown   
© Gschwind et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2014. This article is published under license to BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.