Randomized Trial of Intelligent Sensor System for Early Illness Alerts in Senior Housing.
Marilyn Rantz, Lorraine J Phillips, Colleen Galambos and 10 others
PMID 28711423WHAT IT FOUND
Sensor alerts did not significantly reduce falls or hospital use, but the control group declined faster in walking speed and gait measures than the sensor group, suggesting potential early detection benefits despite technical failures.
Key findings
01The intervention by time interaction for walking speed was not statistically significant, though the control group slowed by 0.80 seconds compared to 0.04 seconds in the intervention group.
02No significant differences were found between groups for falls, emergency room visits, hospitalizations, or costs.
03Network infrastructure problems prevented consistent access to detailed sensor data, limiting the real-world dose of the intervention.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Severe network infrastructure problems prevented participants from receiving the full intended dose of the intervention, as nurses could not consistently access the sensor data interface. The study was conducted in a single state and one corporation, limiting generalizability. Participants were all willing to join the study, which may introduce self-selection bias. The sample lacked racial and ethnic diversity. The primary outcome measures did not show statistically significant differences, despite trends favoring the intervention group.
Declared interests
The paper does not explicitly state funding sources or conflicts of interest in the provided text, but notes collaboration with a large long-term care corporation for site recruitment.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the larger decline in the control group's walking speed as proof that the sensor system works. The difference was not statistically significant, and the authors state that technical failures likely prevented the intervention from being fully delivered or acted upon.