UoM researchers co-author 'Smartphone Apps to Support Falls Rehabilitation'

Dr Helen Hawley-Hague along with Professor Chris Todd worked with researchers from the University of Bologna and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology on the paper: Smartphone Apps to Support Falls Rehabilitation Exercise: App Development and Usability and Acceptability Study.

The authors state that: “If we can use technology to support older adults to maintain an adequate level of strength and balance training, we could support them to maintain health and independence, reduce their fall risk, and prevent re-access to rehabilitation and hospital admissions.”

They go on to detail their study aims:

1. To develop smartphone apps designed to support patients to exercise, based on psychological theory, and co-designed with health care professionals, older adults, and patients.
2. To explore whether two new smartphone-based apps designed to support adherence are usable and acceptable to health care professionals and patients when supporting a strength and balance home exercise program to prevent falls.

Read the full article, with details of the study methods and results.