Older persons' experiences with wearable sensor-based fall risk screening - easy and enjoyable but also worrying

Introduction: Falls are common among older persons and can have a major impact on their lives. Wearable sensors offer a promising approach for fall risk screening. However, the acceptability and user experience of such technologies among older persons in their daily lives remain understudied. Therefore, it is important to gain a deeper understanding of how older persons experience this type of technology.

Method: A qualitative study was conducted using individual interviews with 21 participants (13 women and 8 men, aged 77–81 years) who had used a wearable sensor for one week to screen for fall risks in daily life. Interviews were conducted 9–89 days (median 15 days) after sensor use and were analysed using conventional content analysis.

Results: Older persons’ experiences with wearable sensor-based fall risk screening were described in the overarching theme ‘Being an older person in a fall screening process’. Participants generally found the wearable sensor easy and even enjoyable to use, although some reported difficulties and concerns about the sensor detaching. The results also revealed that the older persons hoped to benefit from the screening in ways that could improve their health; however, they expressed that awareness of an increased fall risk could limit their activities.

Conclusions: Despite certain challenges, the study shows that wearable sensors for fall risk screening can be successfully integrated into the everyday lives of older persons and are generally well accepted. The results contribute important knowledge into how technology can support health promotion and preventive healthcare and highlight the importance of involving older persons in the development of future fall preventive initiatives.