Implementation of theStandingTallprogramme to prevent falls in older people: a process evaluation protocol

Abstract

IntroductionOne in three people aged 65 years and over fall each year. The health, economic and personal impact of falls will grow substantially in the coming years due to population ageing. Developing and implementing cost-effective strategies to prevent falls and mobility problems among older people is therefore an urgent public health challenge. StandingTall is a low-cost, unsupervised, home-based balance exercise programme delivered through a computer or tablet. StandingTall has a simple user-interface that incorporates physical and behavioural elements designed to promote compliance. A large randomised controlled trial in 503 community-dwelling older people has shown that StandingTall is safe, has high adherence rates and is effective in improving balance and reducing falls. The current project targets a major need for older people and will address the final steps needed to scale this innovative technology for widespread use by older people across Australia and internationally.Methods and analysisThis project will endeavour to recruit 300 participants across three sites in Australia and 100 participants in the UK. The aim of the study is to evaluate the implementation of StandingTall into the community and health service settings in Australia and the UK. The nested process evaluation will use both quantitative and qualitative methods to explore uptake and acceptability of the StandingTall programme and associated resources. The primary outcome is participant adherence to the StandingTall programme over 6 months.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval has been obtained from the South East Sydney Local Health District Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC reference 18/288) in Australia and the North West- Greater Manchester South Research Ethics Committee (IRAS ID: 268954) in the UK. Dissemination will be via publications, conferences, newsletter articles, social media, talks to clinicians and consumers and meetings with health departments/managers.Trial registration numberACTRN12619001329156.

Alexa, let's train now! — A systematic review and classification approach to digital and home-based physical training interventions aiming to support healthy cognitive aging

“…Study design: We excluded studies if they were not original articles but posters, 171 , 172 , 173 study protocols, 174 , 175 , 176 , 177 , 178 , 179 , 180 , 181 , 182 , 183 , 184 or reviews. 54 , 185 , 186 …”

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Physical Activity, Function, and Quality of Life

“…More sophisticated digital options, such as the StandingTall program, have been used in clinical trials and have the potential to be scalable. [58][59][60][61] The StandingTall program is delivered via an app and provides high doses of individually tailored exercise that can be safely progressed over time without supervision. Commercial and bespoke devices such as Wii, Xbox, and so forth have been successfully used to increase physical activity in older people.…”