Strauss Daniel H, Davoodi Natalie M, Healy Margaret, Metts Christopher L, Merchant Roland C, Banskota Swechya, Goldberg Elizabeth M
Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, United States.
Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, United States.
JMIR Res Protoc. 2021 Apr 1;10(4):e24455. doi: 10.2196/24455.
Falls are a common problem among older adults that lead to injury, emergency department (ED) visits, and institutionalization. The Apple Watch can detect falls and alert caregivers and clinicians that help is needed; the device could also be used to objectively collect data on gait, fitness, and falls as part of clinical trials. However, little is known about the ease of use of this technology among older adult ED patients, a population at high risk of recurrent falls.
The goal of this study-the Geriatric Acute and Post-Acute Fall Prevention Intervention (GAPcare) II-is to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and usability of the Apple Watch Series 4 paired with the iPhone and our research app Rhode Island FitTest (RIFitTest) among older adult ED patients seeking care for falls.
We will conduct field-testing with older adult ED patients (n=25) who sustained a fall and their caregivers (n=5) to determine whether they can use the Apple Watch, iPhone, and app either (1) continuously or (2) periodically, with or without telephone assistance from the research staff, to assess gait, fitness, and/or falls over time. During the initial encounter, participants will receive training in the Apple Watch, iPhone, and our research app. They will receive an illustrated training manual and a number to call if they have questions about the research protocol or device usage. Participants will complete surveys and cognitive and motor assessments on the app during the study period. At the conclusion of the study, we will solicit participant feedback through semistructured interviews. Qualitative data will be summarized using framework matrix analyses. Sensor and survey response data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics.
Recruitment began in December 2019 and was on pause from April 2020 until September 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Study recruitment will continue until 30 participants are enrolled. This study has been approved by the Rhode Island Hospital Institutional Review Board (approval 1400781-16).
GAPcare II will provide insights into the feasibility, acceptability, and usability of the Apple Watch, iPhone, and the RIFitTest app in the population most likely to benefit from the technology: older adults at high risk of recurrent falls. In the future, wearables could be used as part of fall prevention interventions to prevent injury before it occurs.
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04304495; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04304495.
INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/24455.
跌倒在老年人中是一个常见问题，会导致受伤、急诊就诊以及入住养老院。苹果手表能够检测跌倒并提醒护理人员和临床医生需要帮助；该设备还可用于客观收集有关步态、健康状况和跌倒的数据，作为临床试验的一部分。然而，对于这项技术在老年急诊患者（这类人群再次跌倒风险很高）中的易用性，人们了解甚少。
本研究——老年急性和急性后跌倒预防干预（GAPcare）II——的目的是检验苹果手表Series 4与iPhone及我们的研究应用程序罗德岛健康测试（RIFitTest）在因跌倒寻求治疗的老年急诊患者中的可行性、可接受性和可用性。
我们将对跌倒过的老年急诊患者（n = 25）及其护理人员（n = 5）进行实地测试，以确定他们是否能够（1）持续地或（2）定期地使用苹果手表、iPhone和应用程序，无论有无研究人员的电话协助，来评估一段时间内的步态、健康状况和/或跌倒情况。在初次接触时，参与者将接受苹果手表、iPhone和我们研究应用程序的培训。他们将收到一本图文并茂的培训手册以及一个电话号码，以便在对研究方案或设备使用有疑问时拨打。在研究期间，参与者将在应用程序上完成调查问卷以及认知和运动评估。在研究结束时，我们将通过半结构化访谈征求参与者的反馈。定性数据将使用框架矩阵分析进行总结。传感器和调查响应数据将使用描述性统计进行分析。
招募工作于2019年12月开始，由于新冠疫情，于2020年4月至2020年9月暂停。研究招募将持续到招募到30名参与者。本研究已获得罗德岛医院机构审查委员会的批准（批准号1400781 - 16）。
GAPcare II将为苹果手表、iPhone和RIFitTest应用程序在最有可能从该技术中受益的人群——再次跌倒风险很高的老年人——中的可行性、可接受性和可用性提供见解。未来，可穿戴设备可作为跌倒预防干预措施的一部分，在伤害发生前预防伤害。
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04304495；https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT0430
国际注册报告识别码（IRRID）：DERR1 - 10.2196/24455。
