Authors (including presenting author) :
Poon A, Choi KY, Yu HY, Cheng HT, Chan SY, Ip CS, Tai WY, Ip WM, Lau M
Affiliation :
Occupational Therapy Department, Shatin Hospital
Introduction :
Developing smart hospitals with advanced technology and nurturing smart workforce are set to be key focus for occupational therapy in the coming five years. Occupational therapists (OT) play a crucial role in evaluating and mitigating fall risks for older adults. With the integration and utilizing of advanced technology, OT can enhance fall risk assessments, tailor interventions more effectively, gain real-time insights into fall patterns and enabling more proactive care. To effectively implement technology-assisted fall management, it is essential for OT to receive specialized training. Although emerging evidence supports the role of OT in fall management, there remains a lack of established service provision and efficacy in local hospital settings. Addressing this gap could significantly improve the quality of care for older adults dealing with fall risk.
Objectives :
To enhance occupational therapy application of AI technology assisted fall management and increase knowledge and confidence of OT in applying the advanced technology.
Methodology :
To achieve these objectives, the enhancement of AI technology assisted fall management for older adults and nurturing smart workforce included 3 parts: 1)Standardized advanced technology assisted fall management for older adults in April 2024. Conducted needs assessment to understand current practice and service gap related to fall risk assessment. Incorporated new wearable AI fall management technology to provide balance assessment, strength assessment, risk identification, risk stratification, stratified fall risk related intervention strategies, patient education materials and documentation. Created standardized training video that outline the step-by-step process for assessing and managing fall according to stratified risk level, patient education materials and documentation. 2)Staff training and engagement in May to June 2024. Implemented specialized training for OT, focusing on understanding technology assisted assessment tool, assessing procedures, risk identification, risk stratification and intervention. 3)Clinical application and outcome evaluation from July to November 2024. Applied the structured advanced technology assisted fall management protocol according to stratified risk level for older adults.
Result & Outcome :
4 sessions specialized training was implemented, with 74.2% of OT’s participation. Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test was used. The statistics reveal a significant improvement across various areas included: Significant improvement of knowledge and competence in preparing and setting technology assisted fall risk assessment instruments (Z=-4.78, P=0.00), conducting formal assessment (Z=-4.41, P=0.00), interpreting of fall risk assessment result and reporting (Z= -4.39, P=0.00), implementing documentation (Z= -4.59, P=0.00) and providing recommendation (Z= -4.60, P=0.00) reflect a profound impact on OT’s abilities and efficacy. Significant increase use (Z=-3.44, P=0.01) of structured technology assisted fall risk management for older adults following the training signifies a tangible shift in practice. Total 284 fall risk patients (90.8% of high fall risk) were applied from July to November 2024. The mean age was 75.5 years with 54.9% of female. A broad scope of the application and addressing major patient specialty included geriatric day patient (51.4%), general medical & geriatric in-patient (37.6%), neurological in-patient (6.6%) and palliative care in-patient (4.4%). Significant improvement was seen in balance & lower limb strength (t=-3.7, P=0.01). The development of smart hospitals presents an exciting opportunity for occupational therapy to expand its role in advanced technology assisted fall management among older adults. By prioritizing specialized training and addressing existing service gaps, we can significantly enhance the quality of care provided to this vulnerable population, ultimately improving their safety and quality of life.
