Accelerometers in rehabilitation medicine for older adults

Recent technological developments have led to the production of inexpensive, miniature accelerometer sensors with potential for use in a clinical setting. These sensors can provide reliable information on mobility and objective measurement of gait. They are currently used mainly in a research setting; however, with recent advances, incorporation into clinical practice is possible. For illustrative purposes this paper describes some current applications of accelerometers in gait and balance evaluation, falls risk assessment and mobility monitoring. Accelerometers provide quantitative measures of gait, they are capable of identifying specific gait changes in older adults and in fallers and can be used to objectively quantify ambulatory activity levels. Accelerometers have many potential uses in monitoring of patients in rehabilitation. They provide an added objective and quantitative dimension to gait analysis when combined with clinical assessment. They have the potential in the future to stratify falls risk facilitating early initiation of appropriate therapeutic intervention, thus reducing further falls. The challenge facing clinicians and biomedical engineers is to further harness this technology making it part of everyday clinical practice.