Using Embedded Sensors in Independent Living to Predict Gait Changes and Falls.
Lorraine J Phillips, Chelsea B DeRoche, Marilyn Rantz and 7 others
PMID 27470677WHAT IT FOUND
A 5.1 cm/s drop in in-home gait speed over 7 days was associated with an 86.3% estimated probability of falling within 3 weeks in 23 monitored residents.
Stride length decline showed a similar association.
Key findings
01Cumulative change in in-home gait speed was significantly associated with fall probability (p < .0001). The model estimated that a cumulative decrease of 5.1 cm/s over 7 days was associated with an 86.3% probability of falling within 3 weeks, compared with 19.5% with no change.
02Cumulative change in in-home stride length was significantly associated with fall probability (p < .0001). The model estimated that a cumulative decrease of 7.6 cm over 7 days was associated with a 50.6% probability of falling within 3 weeks, compared with 11.4% with no change.
03The analysis used 23 residents: 69 fall events from 13 residents who fell, plus random 30-day control windows for 10 residents with no falls.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The sample came from an independent living community with RN care coordination. All participants were Caucasian, and most were female. The study used 69 falls from 13 residents, so the number of people was small. Not all falls were observed or captured by the sensor, and some fall histories could not be confirmed. The analysis was retrospective, with missing data from sensor failure or too few walks. Apartments with another resident were excluded. The study did not test whether alerts or therapy referrals prevent falls.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that the sensor prevents falls or that acting on alerts improves outcomes. This was an observational analysis of 23 residents, not a trial of fall prevention.