Article

A study was conducted to assess how a new metric, average in-home gait speed
(AIGS), measured using a low-cost, continuous, environmentally mounted monitoring
system, compares to a set of traditional physical performance instruments used
for mobility and fall risk assessment of elderly adults. Sixteen participants
were recruited from a local independent living facility. In addition to having
their gait monitored continuously in their home for an average of eleven months,
the participants completed a monthly clinical assessment consisting of a set of
traditional assessment instruments: Habitual Gait Speed, Timed-Up and Go, Short
Physical Performance Battery, Berg Balance Scale--short form, and
Multidirectional Reach Test. A methodology is developed to assess which of these
instruments may work well with the largest subset of older adults, is best suited
for detecting changes in an individual over time, and most reliably captures the
true mobility level of an individual. Using the ability of an instrument to
predict how an individual would score on all the instruments as a metric, AIGS
performs best, having better predictive ability than the traditional instruments.
AIGS also displays the best agreement between observed and smoothed values,
indicating it has the lowest intra-individual test-retest variability of the
instruments. AIGS, measured continuously, during normal everyday activity,
represents a significant shift in assessment methodology compared to infrequently
assessed, traditional physical performance instruments. Continuous, in-home data
may provide a more accurate and precise picture of the physical function of older
adults, leading to improved mobility and fall risk assessment.
CI - Copyright (c) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS