An evaluation of the use of fall detectors is underway with the purpose of drawing up guidelines on how to use them effectively.
Evaluation is being carried out by the Health Design and Technology Institute, Coventry University, in partnership with the West Midlands Region Telehealthcare Network, and Warwickshire PCT. The project is funded by NHS West Midlands.
Currently one third of older people lie undetected when they fall, for at least one hour. Detectors can be deployed to raise the alarm early and ensure a timely and appropriate response, but their use across the region varies.
Evaluation will include:
- Focus groups with telehealthcare representatives, and interviews with older people
- Evaluating the experience of 20 older people issued with fall detectors as part of their existing care package
- A literature review and market appraisal of existing fall detector technology
- Collecting data from existing sources about the range of fall detectors used across the region and demographic profiles of users.
Contact: Dr. Gillian Ward, Project Lead, g.ward@coventry.ac.uk or Nikki Holliday, n.holliday@coventry.ac.uk
Project brief
Fall Detectors – What do users want?
One third of older people who fall lie undetected for at least 1 hour. Fall detectors can provide an early alert which can ensure a timely and appropriate response, but their use varies across the region. Understanding of the detectors role and use will be explored in this project, which will capture and analyse user experience to ensure detectors are deployed in a more efficient and effective way.
The Health Design & Technology Institute (HDTI), Coventry University in partnership with the West Midlands Region Telehealthcare Network and Warwickshire PCT, has been funded by NHS West Midlands to carry out an evaluation of the use of fall detectors within the West Midlands Region. Through understanding the users' perspectives, guidance will be produced on the use of detectors to support referral and application across the region.
The service evaluation will use "rapid appraisal techniques" for the swift assessment of local views and perceptions of the problems and needs relating to the use of fall detectors across the region.
The evaluation will include
· focus groups with telehealthcare leads and interviews with older people
· evaluating the experience of 20 older people issued with fall detectors as part of their existing care package
· a literature review and market appraisal of existing fall detector technology
· collecting data from existing sources about the range of fall detectors used across the region and demographic profiles of users
The project will conclude with a workshop to summarise the findings and agree priority areas for action.
Following ethical approval, focus groups and interviews will took place April to May 2011 and the service evaluation began in April 2011. You can get involved by;
· taking part in a focus group
· responding to a survey on the use of fall detectors in your area
· helping in the recruitment of service users for interview and the service evaluation.
The project steering group includes; Sue Williams, Project Development Manager, ADASS and JIP West Midlands; Jim Ellam, Assistive Technology Project Lead, Staffordshire County Council; Nathan Downing, JIP Telecare Project Lead; Liz Long, Health Improvement and Falls Service Manager, Dudley MBC; Mary Jerrison, Osteoporosis and Falls Management Team Leader, South Staffs PCT;
Sue Ducker, Warwickshire PCT; Simon Fielden, Director HDTI, Coventry University.
