Exploring user experience and technology acceptance for a fall prevention system: results from a randomized clinical trial and a living lab

Background: Falls are common in older adults and can result in serious injuries. Due to demographic changes, falls and related healthcare costs are likely to increase over the next years. Participation and motivation of older adults in fall prevention measures remain a challenge. The iStoppFalls project developed an information and communication technology (ICT)-based system for older adults to use at home in order to reduce common fall risk factors such as impaired balance and muscle weakness. The system aims at increasing older adults’ motivation to participate in ICT-based fall prevention measures. This article reports on usability, user-experience and user-acceptance aspects affecting the use of the iStoppFalls system by older adults. Methods: In the course of a 16-week international multicenter study, 153 community-dwelling older adults aged 65+ participated in the iStoppFalls randomized controlled trial, of which half used the system in their home to exercise and assess their risk of falling. During the study, 60 participants completed questionnaires regarding the usability, user experience and user acceptance of the iStoppFalls system. Usability was measured with the System Usability Scale (SUS). For user experience the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES) was applied. User acceptance was assessed with the Dynamic Acceptance Model for the Re-evaluation of Technologies (DART). To collect more detailed data on usability, user experience and user acceptance, additional qualitative interviews and observations were conducted with participants. Results: Participants evaluated the usability of the system with an overall score of 62 (Standard Deviation, SD 15.58) out of 100, which suggests good usability. Most users enjoyed the iStoppFalls games and assessments, as shown by the overall PACES score of 31 (SD 8.03). With a score of 0.87 (SD 0.26), user acceptance results showed that participants accepted the iStoppFalls system for use in their own home. Interview data suggested that certain factors such as motivation, complexity or graphical design were different for gender and age. Conclusions: The results suggest that the iStoppFalls system has good usability, user experience and user acceptance. It will be important to take these along with factors such as motivation, gender and age into consideration when designing and further developing ICT-based fall prevention systems

Robot deployment in long-term care: a case study of a mobile robot in physical therapy

Background. Healthcare systems in industrialised countries are challenged to provide care for a growing number of older adults. Information technology holds the promise of facilitating this process by providing support for care staff, and improving wellbeing of older adults through a variety of support systems. Goal. Little is known about the challenges that arise from the deployment of technology in care settings; yet, the integration of technology into care is one of the core determinants of successful support. In this paper, we discuss challenges and opportunities associated with technology integration in care using the example of a mobile robot to support physical therapy among older adults with cognitive impairment in the European project STRANDS. Results and discussion. We report on technical challenges along with perspectives of physical therapists, and provide an overview of lessons learned which we hope will help inform the work of researchers and practitioners wishing to integrate robotic aids in the caregiving process

Newly discovered seed dispersal system of Juniperus cedrus questions the pristine nature of the high elevation scrub of El Teide (Tenerife, Canary Islands)

As a working hypothesis, we examined evidence for the former presence of a climacic woodland of Juniperus cedrus above the pine forest in the high elevation area of Tenerife (Canary Islands), which would indicate that the current dominant vegetation (endemic Spartocytisus supranubius scrub) may not be pristine. The main causes of the great regression of this woodland were caused by human activities (timber harvesting, herbivory by goats, and fires). The main support for this hypothesis is the survival of a presumably relict seed dispersal system of the endangered endemic J. cedrus, which relies mainly on the wintering thrush Turdus torquatus. The fact that genetic factors are directly involved in the control of bird migration routes strongly supports the idea that this interaction could be remnant of an older system, probably more widespread in the past. To test this hypothesis, we propose that a paleoecological approach could reconstruct the vegetation dynamics in the Teide National Park (Tenerife) and the past presence of this seed disperser migratory thrush. The analysis of plant microfossils in sediments (e.g., pollen, spores, phytoliths, coprolites, and charcoal) would allow us to evaluate whether the current vegetation is the same as that which naturally existed in the past, and assess the impact of the anthropogenic and natural factors to which it has been subjected during history. The results of these analyses will be useful for future management policies and practices aimed at restoring the pristine landscape and biotic interactions of the Teide National Park. To our knowledge, the case presented in this contribution, based on the high dependence of the seed dispersal of an endemic tree (J. cedrus) on a migratory bird, is the only reported in the context of oceanic islands.Ministerio de Ciencia e InnovaciónGobierno de las Islas CanariasOrganismo Autónomo de Parques Nacionale

Zastosowanie parametru gęstości energii odkształceń do oceny wieloosiowego zmęczenia stali spiekanych z koncentratorami naprężeń

This paper presents fatigue test results of a Fe-Cu sintered alloy (1.5% Cu) and three types of Fe-Cu-Ni sintered alloys (2% Cu, 2.5% Ni). Fe-Cu-Ni sintered alloys were produced under different compaction pressures and sintering temperatures. Round specimens with fillet notches were subjected to a constant amplitude pure bending, pure torsion and a combined in-phase and out-of-phase ( = 90.) bending with torsion. All results have been described by the criterion of the strain energy density parameter on the critical plane. It was assumed that the fatigue life is influenced by a linear combination of normal and strain energy density parameters with the coefficients that refer to the calculated plane. In particular, it allowed one to compute fatigue lives sufficiently comparable to the experimental ones.W pracy przedstawiono rezultaty badań zmęczeniowych spieku Fe-Cu o zawartości 1.5% miedzi oraz trzech rodzajów spieku Fe-Cu-Ni o zawartości 2% miedzi i 2.5% niklu. Do badań zastosowano próbki okrągłe z koncentratorami naprężeń w postaci odsadzenia. Zakres badań obejmował stałoampitudowe zginanie, skręcanie oraz kombinacje proporcjonalnego i nieproporcjonalnego zginania ze skręcaniem. Wyniki badań eksperymentalnych zostały opisane przy zastosowaniu kryterium parametru energetycznego, opartego na koncepcji płaszczyzny krytycznej. Trwałość zmęczeniowa została wyznaczona na podstawie liniowej kombinacji parametru gęstości energii odkształceń normalnych oraz stycznych z pewnymi współczynnikami w przyjętej płaszczyźnie krytycznej. W większości przypadków otrzymano zadowalającą zgodność trwałości obliczeniowych z eksperymentalnymi

Human and Automated Coding of Rehabilitation Discharge Summaries According to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health

OBJECTIVE: The International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) is designed to provide a common language and framework for describing health and health-related states. The goal of this research was to investigate human and automated coding of functional status information using the ICF framework. DESIGN: The authors extended an existing natural language processing (NLP) system to encode rehabilitation discharge summaries according to the ICF. MEASUREMENTS: The authors conducted a formal evaluation, comparing the coding performed by expert coders, non-expert coders, and the NLP system. RESULTS: Automated coding can be used to assign codes using the ICF, with results similar to those obtained by human coders, at least for the selection of ICF code and assignment of the performance qualifier. Coders achieved high agreement on ICF code assignment. CONCLUSION: This research is a key next step in the development of the ICF as a sensitive and universal classification of functional status information. It is worthwhile to continue to investigate automated ICF coding

Design and evaluation of a fall prevention multiplayer game for senior care centres

Preventing falls is extremely important today as people live long sedentary lives. Fall prevention platforms can help, by stimulating seniors to perform exercises that improve balance and muscular strength. However, existing platforms for fall prevention mostly target individual users exercising at home. This paper describes the design and evaluation of a multi-player fall prevention game platform, FallSensing Games, to be used in senior care centers. The game design was inspired by the Otago Exercise Programme and the evaluation focused on biomechanical parameters, game experience, and technology acceptance. Results showed that the game was easy to follow, that seniors performed exercises correctly, and that the game integrated well with the activities of the senior care centers. Lessons learned from this project may inspire the development of similar platforms, and, in this way, support group exercise practices at senior care centers