AUTHOR=D’Ambrosio Flora , Harbo Michael , Contiero Danilo , Bonfigli Anna Rita , Cicconi Diletta , Heuer Niels , Roos Arend , Fischer Pedersen Christian , Fabbietti Paolo , Gagliardi Cristina 

TITLE=Preact to lower the risk of falling by customized rehabilitation across Europe: the feasibility study protocol of the PRECISE project in Italy

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 12 - 2024

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1293621

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2024.1293621

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=Introduction: Falls are a major worldwide health problem in older people. Several physical rehabilitation programs with home-based technologies, such as the online DigiRehab platform, have been successfully delivered. The PRECISE project combines personalized training delivered through the application with an artificial intelligence-based predictive model (AI-DSS platform) for fall risk assessment. This new system, called DigiRehab, will enable early identification of significant risk factors for falling and propose an individualized physical training plan to attend to these critical areas. Methods: The study will test the usability of the DigiRehab platform in generating personalized physical rehabilitation programs at home. Fifty elderly participants will be involved, 20 of them testing the beta version prototype, and 30 participants testing the updated version afterwards. The inclusion criteria will be age ≥ 65, independent ambulation, fall risk (Tinetti test), Mini Mental State Examination ≥ 24, home residents, familiarity with web applications, ability and willingness to sign informed consent. Exclusion criteria will be unstable clinical condition, severe visual and/or hearing impairment, severe impairment in Activities of Daily Living and absence of primary caregiver. Discussion: The first part of the screening consists in a structured questionnaire of ten questions regarding the user's limitations, including the risk of falling, while the second consists in ten physical tests to assess the functional status. Based on the results, the program will help define the user's individual profile upon which the DSS platform will rate the risk of falling and design the personalized exercise program to be carried out at home. All measures from the initial screening will be repeated and the results will be used to optimize the predictive algorithms in order to prepare the tool in its final version. For the usability assessment, the System Usability Scale will be administered. The follow-up will take place after the 12-week intervention at home. A semistructured satisfaction questionnaire will also be administered to verify whether the project will meet the needs of elderly and their family caregiver.We expect that personalized training prescribed by DIGIREHAB platform could help to reduce the need for care in elderly subjects and the care burden.