Context:The most widely used method for postural balance assessment relies on the subjective observations of a test administrator Accelerometry has been shown to provide a valid and reliable method for assessment of balance, and recent advances in microelectromechanical systems have made the technology available in mobile electronic devices. Objective: To compare a mobile technology application with a commonly used subjective balance assessment. Setting: Biomechanics laboratory. Participants: Twenty-one nonathlete college-aged individuals (7 men, 14 women; mean age 23 ± 3 years) volunteered to participate. Subjects were excluded if they reported any preexisting condition that might affect postural balance. Results: A strong inverse correlation was found between the scores for the two balance assessment methods (r = -.767, p < .01). Conclusions: Advances in technology have provided an attractive means to objectively quantify postural balance with off-the-shelf mobile consumer electronic devices.
Background: The SWAY Balance Mobile Application is an FDA-cleared balance testing system which uses the built-in tri-axial accelerometers of a mobile electronic device to objectively assess postural movement. The system was designed to provide a means of quantitative balance assessment in clinical and on-field environments. The purpose of this study was to determine the intrasession and intersession reliability, as well as the minimum difference to be considered real, of the SWAY Balance Mobile Application.Methods: 24 individuals (15 male, 9 female; aged 25.96 (95.78 years)) performed the SWAY Balance protocol twice per testing session over a period of three testing sessions. Each testing session was separated by a minimum of seven days. Interclass Correlation Coefficients were calculated as an indication of the test-retest reliability. The minimum difference to be considered real was calculated to determine the minimum score change necessary to indicate an actual change in balance performance.Results: Mean SWAY Balance scores ranged from 86.90 (914.37) to 89.90 (911.19). Repeated measures ANOVA revealed no significant mean differences between SWAY balance scores of the experimental trials (F (5,115) 0 0.673; p 0 0.65). Excellent reliability was found (ICC(3,1) 0 0.76; SEM 0 5.39) with a minimum difference to be considered real of approximately 15. Conclusions:Results indicate that SWAY provides excellent overall reliability. However, it may be appropriate to have subjects perform a familiarization trial at the beginning of each testing session. Additionally, SWAY may demonstrate a ceiling effect when assessing balance improvements in those who already demonstrate good balance.
The open-circuit resonant sensor design leverages the architecture of a thin planar spiral which is passive (does not require batteries), robust and lightweight (does not have electrical components or electrical connections), and may be able to wirelessly monitor cardiovascular health and limb hemodynamics.
Wearable technologies are changing the way that people interact with the world. Personal physical activity monitors are becoming ubiquitous in our society and are helping to advance user health and performance, yet, many workplaces have not broadly adopted the technologies beyond either low fidelity/complexity pedometer-based applications or, inversely, high fidelity/complexity lab- based evaluations. Considering adoption of wearable technologies in the workplace, some technology-related concerns include; (1) types of data needed to be captured (motion, muscle, temperature, etc.), (2) constraints of sensor design, such as human-sensor system integration (embedded in clothing versus strapped to person), ruggedness, form factor, or weight, and (3) types of data interpretation and feedback applications that exist to translate data into useful information (communication, trend mapping, situational awareness). From the research design perspective, there is difficulty in conducting studies capable of demonstrating a safety or productivity that supports employing wearable technology in the workplace. Difficulties include poor access to workplaces and varied worker populations to conduct research, lack of funding, and the need for extended time periods to demonstrate utility (often longer than the lifecycle of the technology in question). Considering the industry perspective, barriers to adopting wearable technologies include lack of convincing data, cost, and anticipation of reduced productivity, poor usability, and/or information overload. Additionally, employee privacy concerns and public policy implications may provide challenges. Another potential barrier may be that some practitioners, however, believe that innovative technologies may be adopted without rigorous testing. This may have short term success to garner interest but may create a barrier to adoption in the long term if the devices are found to have no near or mid- term efficacy. The overarching goal of the session will be to improve understanding of different perspectives as it relates to the use, barriers, and adoption of wearable technologies and generate discussion for overcoming such barriers to improve the process of research to practice to research (RtPtR). The panelists are from a variety of industry sectors and academia. The session will begin with a 5- minute introductory statement from each panelist; therefore, most of the session will be a discussion between panelists and audience.
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