Simon Fielden

Fall detectors: a review of the literature

Purpose – The aim of this review is to explore recent literature regarding the development of fall detector technology as part of a service evaluation on the use of fall detectors across the region funded by NHS West Midlands. It also aims to explore the application and the use of products designed to detect falls and alert for help from end‐user and health and social care staff perspectives.Design/methodology/approach – A comprehensive review of the literature of the last ten years was conducted, search terms were used to identify relevant literature from research databases and the main themes from the literature were summarised. This work was carried out to inform a service evaluation of the use of fall detectors across the West Midlands region and was funded by NHS West Midlands.Findings – It was found that whilst there are a wide variety of new technologies regarding fall detectors in development, the range of technologies currently available through health and social services to users are limited. He...

Improving wheelchair prescription: an analysis of user needs and existing tools

Wheelchair users experience many situations that affect the stability and associated performance of their wheelchair. Stability is affected by user characteristics and abilities, environmental features and conditions, and wheelchair modification and accessories. Wheelchair prescribers need effective tools and methods to provide quantitative evaluation and prediction of the behavior of the user-wheelchair system in a variety of static and dynamic situations. Such information is very important to guide efficient management of associated risks and adjust chairs accordingly. This project involves a user-centered approach for design and evaluation of a load cell based wheelchair stability assessment system (Wheel-SAS). Here, the current methods for assessing stability are described, and their shortcomings explained. The user-centered design approach being applied to the development of the associated Wheel-SAS hardware and software is described. Future work including semi-structured interviews and an online survey with wheelchair prescribers and associated healthcare professionals for deriving user requirements and a design specification for a load cell system for measuring dynamic wheelchair stability are detailed.

Establishing user needs for a stability assessment tool to guide wheelchair prescription

Abstract Purpose: The WheelSense project aims to develop a system for assessing the stability and performance of wheelchairs through a user-centred design process. This study sought to capture user needs and define the specification for the system. Method: A mixed methods approach was adopted. An online survey was completed by 98 participants working in wheelchair provision. The results were built upon through 10 semi-structured interviews and one focus group (n = 5) with professionals working in wheelchair provision in three NHS Trusts in the UK. Results: The results provided a picture of the current UK practice in stability testing. Issues with the reliability and usefulness of the existing methods used to assess the stability and performance of wheelchairs were highlighted. Requirements for a new system were ascertained. These included improved accuracy of tipping angles, features to support record keeping, improved client/carer education support and ability to model or predict client–wheelchair system performance in different configurations. Conclusions: The paper concludes that there is a need for improved tools to determine the stability of the client–wheelchair system and support the prescription process, to ensure client safety and optimum equipment performance. A list of requirements has been produced to guide the future development of WheelSense. Implications for Rehabilitation The results of this survey and interview-based study present a picture of wheelchair stability testing practices in the UK, and highlight the need for new, more informative methods for guiding wheelchair prescription. The requirements for the design of a new system, or further development of existing tools to support the stability testing and prescription of wheelchairs have been established.

Exploration of information needs and development of resources to inform and support those at risk of falling

BACKGROUND: There is a lack of information surrounding assistive technology in general, but in particular, surrounding fall detectors and their use. This paper describes the results specifically pertaining to access to and provision of information regarding fall detectors which arose from a previous project exploring the use of fall detectors in the West Midlands. OBJECTIVE: To develop a range of resources to help inform and support people at risk of falling, based upon the findings of a previous project which aimed to evaluate the use of fall detectors in the West Midlands. METHODS: A combination of focus groups and user interviews were used to explore the successful and unsuccessful use of fall detectors across the West Midlands region in the UK. A range of resources were iteratively developed based upon the findings of these user interviews. RESULTS: There was a lack of information for both the public and health and social care professionals with regards to the availability, advantages, disadvantages, indication and contra-indications of fall detectors, as well as lack of wider information regarding falls. CONCLUSIONS: The project developed a range of information resources based upon the project findings, which have been so far well-received by the public and health and social care professionals. Further research must be conducted to ascertain full impact.

The development and testing of a system for wheelchair stability measurement.

Wheelchair stability has an impact on safety as well as wheelchair performance, propulsion and manoeuvrability. Wheelchair stability is affected by the addition of life-supporting heavy equipment, e.g. ventilators and oxygen cylinders, as well as the characteristics of the user e.g. limb amputations, obesity. The aim of the research described here was to develop and test a stability assessment system that would guide and support the adjustment of wheelchairs to individual needs, characteristics and lifestyles. The resulting system provides assessment of centre of gravity and wheelchair stability and calculates the wheelchair tipping angles. The system consists of a force platform that senses the weight distribution of the wheelchair and calculates the centres of the contact points of the wheels and the distances between them. The measurement data are transferred via a WiFi connection to a portable tablet computer where wheelchair stability parameters are calculated. A touchscreen GUI provides visualization of the stability results and navigation through the measurement modes. The developed new concept has been evaluated through technical laboratory-based testing to determine the validity of the data collected. Initial testing has been undertaken within the clinical setting in 3 large hospitals in the UK. Initial results suggest that Wheelsense® provides a valuable tool to support clinical judgement.

A novel system for wheelchair stability assessment design and initial results

Wheelchairs should provide safe and reliable functioning in various road conditions and situations, ease of propulsion, and high maneuverability. Often, wheelchairs need further modification and installation of additional equipment (ventilators, oxygen cylinders, etc) which affect their stability. Wheelchair stability is also dependent on a users body characteristics that can result in a shifting of the centre of mass e.g. limb amputations, and obesity, etc. Adaptation of the wheelchair requires additional assessment and wheelchair tuning by highly skilled rehabilitation engineers. In this paper, we discuss the design and initial testing of a novel wheelchair stability assessment system. The developed WheelSense system consists of a force platform that senses the weight distribution of the wheelchair, the centre of the contact points, and the distances between contact points of the wheels. The measurement platform is linked via WiFi connection to a portable tablet computer where the platforms sensor signals are processed and the wheelchair stability parameters are calculated. An intuitive touchscreen GUI is used for visualization of the stability results and navigation through separate measurement modes. The mechanical platform was designed to be foldable and light-weighted and thus, to be easily transportable which gives additional advantages when the system is used outside of a clinical engineering department. The initial design is being evaluated through four prototype systems installed for clinical testing in 3 large hospitals in the UK. The initial results indicate that the developed measurement system possesses high accuracy and ease of operation.

The user testing toolset: a decision support system to aid the evaluation of assistive technology products

Developers of assistive technology products need to ensure that their offerings meet the requirements of end users, and that usability issues have been discovered prior to manufacture. This may be difficult for SMEs (Small Medium Enterprises) who may lack the necessary skills and resources required to plan and conduct an evaluation. To assist SMEs in the assistive technology market, a stand alone, decision support system was developed to assist in the planning and evaluation of their products, taking into account the resources available, nature of the product being developed and stage of the design process. The responses given by the designer to 40 multiple choice questions are matched against a database of 42 research methods. The methods achieving the highest score in relation to all questions are displayed as the final output. The paper describes the development of the User Testing Toolset (UTT), including the additional functionality provided to ensure that the evaluation methods were correctly matched and weighted to the responses.