INNOVATIVE USES OF TECHNOLOGY IN ASSESSING PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE OF OLDER PERSONS

Abstract

AbstractThe purpose of this symposium is to present use of technology to translate the assessment of physical functioning in older adults to clinical practice. Previous studies confirm the relationship of physical performance measures to disability onset, hospitalization, nursing home admission, falls, mortality and other outcomes. While performance measures are being used more frequently in aging research, their uptake in clinical practice has been slow, in part because of the added burden in clinical care of geriatric patients. Using technology to improve the simplicity and efficiency of these measures could have a major impact on their use in clinical practice.In this symposium Dr. Charlene Quinn, will provide an overview of the translation of technology to clinical care.Dr. Jack Guralnik will describe the development of a smart phone app for the administration of the Short Physical Performance Battery, a widely used assessment of gait, strength and balance.Dr. W. Jack Rejeski will present the mobility assessment tool-short form (MAT-sf) which uses video animations to improve accuracy and precision measurement of mobility.Dr. Miriam Morey will discuss walking speed in the 6th Vital Sign research project to establish community population walking speed norms and promote walking speed as a vital sign.Dr. Lisa Barry will discuss use of an RFID (small electronic chip) device to measure gait speed in the clinic setting.Dr. Antoine Piau will present the RESPECT study of a shoe insole to monitor frailty, assessing gait characteristics and transmit data for the use of patients and physicians.