Abstract
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.
Highlights
Falls are very common, especially in adults aged 65 years and older
We hypothesize that the regular use of this newly developed Information and Communication Technology (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
Summary
This study is designed to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of an easy to administer ICT-based system for fall prevention in older people living independently at home. The iStoppFalls program has been developed to offer simple and enjoyable exercises to older people in their home environment. The current trial will provide data on how the iStoppFalls ICT-based exercise intervention affects balance (e.g., sway), strength (e.g., lower extremity strength), ADL (e.g., gait velocity), cognition (e.g., attention), health (e.g., quality of life), and rate of falls. The iStoppFalls program and this trial will provide insights into older people’s attitudes and practices regarding ICT use and support of self-management of health (falls) by means of continuous monitoring of their own fall risk and associated measures like a daily activity profile, balance games, and evidence-based strength training to prevent falls. Authors’ information Yves J Gschwind and Sabine Eichberg are joint first authors
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