The smart-home study: A feasibility study to pilot the use of smartphone technology to identify environmental falls risk factors in the home. Issue 1 (June 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Leung, Ka Ho Marco; Brandis, Susan
• Is Part Of: Hong Kong journal of occupational therapy. Volume 36:Issue 1(2023)
• Page Start: 3
• Page End: 12
• Publication Date: 2023-06
• Subjects: Home assessment -- smartphone -- falls risk -- feasibility -- technology; Occupational therapy -- Periodicals; Medical rehabilitation -- Periodicals; Occupational Therapy -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 615.8515
• DOI: 10.1177/15691861231155994
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1569-1861

Abstract

Introduction: While occupational therapy home assessments are effective to identify environmental falls risk factors, patients may not receive these services due to workforce distribution and geographical distances. Technology may offer a new way for occupational therapists to conduct home assessments to identify environmental fall risks. Objectives: To (i) explore the feasability of identifying environmental risk factors using smartphone technology, (ii) develop and pilot a suite of procedures for taking smartphone images and (iii) examine the inter-rater reliability and content validity between occupational therapists when assessing smartphone images using a standardised assessment tool. Method: Following ethical approval a procedure was developed and participants recruited to submit smartphone images of their bedroom, bathroom and toilet. Two independent occupational therapists then assessed these images using a home safety checklist. Findings were analysed using inferential and descriptive statistics. Results: Of 100 volunteers screened, 20 individuals participated. A guideline for instructing patients to take home images was developed and tested. Participants averaged 9.00 minutes (SD 4.401) to complete the task, whilst occupational therapists took approximately 8 minutes to review the images. The inter-rater reliability between the two therapists was 0.740 (95% CI: 0.452–0.888). Conclusion: The study found that use of smartphones was to a large extent feasible and conclude that the use of smartphone technologies is a potential complimentary service to traditional home visits. The effective prescription of equipment in this trial was identified as a challenge. The impact on costs and potential falls incidents remains uncertain and more research is warranted in representative populations.