Can We Rely on Mobile Devices and Other Gadgets to Assess the Postural Balance of Healthy Individuals? A Systematic Review
The consequences of falls, costs, and complexity of conventional evaluation protocols have motivated researchers to develop more effective balance assessments tools. Healthcare practitioners are incorporating the use of mobile phones and other gadgets (smartphones and tablets) to enhance accessibili...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2019-07-01
|
| Series: | Sensors |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/19/13/2972 |
| _version_ | 1828739788798164992 |
|---|---|
| author | Alexandre S. Pinho Ana P. Salazar Ewald M. Hennig Barbara C. Spessato Antoinette Domingo Aline S. Pagnussat |
| author_facet | Alexandre S. Pinho Ana P. Salazar Ewald M. Hennig Barbara C. Spessato Antoinette Domingo Aline S. Pagnussat |
| author_sort | Alexandre S. Pinho |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The consequences of falls, costs, and complexity of conventional evaluation protocols have motivated researchers to develop more effective balance assessments tools. Healthcare practitioners are incorporating the use of mobile phones and other gadgets (smartphones and tablets) to enhance accessibility in balance evaluations with reasonable sensitivity and good cost−benefit. The prospects are evident, as well as the need to identify weakness and highlight the strengths of the different approaches. In order to verify if mobile devices and other gadgets are able to assess balance, four electronic databases were searched from their inception to February 2019. Studies reporting the use of inertial sensors on mobile and other gadgets to assess balance in healthy adults, compared to other evaluation methods were included. The quality of the nine studies selected was assessed and the current protocols often used were summarized. Most studies did not provide enough information about their assessment protocols, limiting the reproducibility and the reliability of the results. Data gathered from the studies did not allow us to conclude if mobile devices and other gadgets have discriminatory power (accuracy) to assess postural balance. Although the approach is promising, the overall quality of the available studies is low to moderate. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T00:29:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1b3b8587512a47b98335798aabba66b3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T00:29:43Z |
| publishDate | 2019-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sensors |
| spelling | doaj.art-1b3b8587512a47b98335798aabba66b32022-12-22T03:10:31ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202019-07-011913297210.3390/s19132972s19132972Can We Rely on Mobile Devices and Other Gadgets to Assess the Postural Balance of Healthy Individuals? A Systematic ReviewAlexandre S. Pinho0Ana P. Salazar1Ewald M. Hennig2Barbara C. Spessato3Antoinette Domingo4Aline S. Pagnussat5Movement Analysis and Rehabilitation Laboratory, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, RS 90050-170, BrazilMovement Analysis and Rehabilitation Laboratory, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, RS 90050-170, BrazilInstitute of Health & Biomedical Innovation (IHBI), Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Kelvin Grove, Brisbane QLD 4059, AustraliaMovement Analysis and Rehabilitation Laboratory, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, RS 90050-170, BrazilSchool of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182-7251, USAMovement Analysis and Rehabilitation Laboratory, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, RS 90050-170, BrazilThe consequences of falls, costs, and complexity of conventional evaluation protocols have motivated researchers to develop more effective balance assessments tools. Healthcare practitioners are incorporating the use of mobile phones and other gadgets (smartphones and tablets) to enhance accessibility in balance evaluations with reasonable sensitivity and good cost−benefit. The prospects are evident, as well as the need to identify weakness and highlight the strengths of the different approaches. In order to verify if mobile devices and other gadgets are able to assess balance, four electronic databases were searched from their inception to February 2019. Studies reporting the use of inertial sensors on mobile and other gadgets to assess balance in healthy adults, compared to other evaluation methods were included. The quality of the nine studies selected was assessed and the current protocols often used were summarized. Most studies did not provide enough information about their assessment protocols, limiting the reproducibility and the reliability of the results. Data gathered from the studies did not allow us to conclude if mobile devices and other gadgets have discriminatory power (accuracy) to assess postural balance. Although the approach is promising, the overall quality of the available studies is low to moderate.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/19/13/2972mHealthpostural balancewearable electronic devicesmobile applications |
| spellingShingle | Alexandre S. Pinho Ana P. Salazar Ewald M. Hennig Barbara C. Spessato Antoinette Domingo Aline S. Pagnussat Can We Rely on Mobile Devices and Other Gadgets to Assess the Postural Balance of Healthy Individuals? A Systematic Review Sensors mHealth postural balance wearable electronic devices mobile applications |
| title | Can We Rely on Mobile Devices and Other Gadgets to Assess the Postural Balance of Healthy Individuals? A Systematic Review |
| title_full | Can We Rely on Mobile Devices and Other Gadgets to Assess the Postural Balance of Healthy Individuals? A Systematic Review |
| title_fullStr | Can We Rely on Mobile Devices and Other Gadgets to Assess the Postural Balance of Healthy Individuals? A Systematic Review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Can We Rely on Mobile Devices and Other Gadgets to Assess the Postural Balance of Healthy Individuals? A Systematic Review |
| title_short | Can We Rely on Mobile Devices and Other Gadgets to Assess the Postural Balance of Healthy Individuals? A Systematic Review |
| title_sort | can we rely on mobile devices and other gadgets to assess the postural balance of healthy individuals a systematic review |
| topic | mHealth postural balance wearable electronic devices mobile applications |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/19/13/2972 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT alexandrespinho canwerelyonmobiledevicesandothergadgetstoassesstheposturalbalanceofhealthyindividualsasystematicreview AT anapsalazar canwerelyonmobiledevicesandothergadgetstoassesstheposturalbalanceofhealthyindividualsasystematicreview AT ewaldmhennig canwerelyonmobiledevicesandothergadgetstoassesstheposturalbalanceofhealthyindividualsasystematicreview AT barbaracspessato canwerelyonmobiledevicesandothergadgetstoassesstheposturalbalanceofhealthyindividualsasystematicreview AT antoinettedomingo canwerelyonmobiledevicesandothergadgetstoassesstheposturalbalanceofhealthyindividualsasystematicreview AT alinespagnussat canwerelyonmobiledevicesandothergadgetstoassesstheposturalbalanceofhealthyindividualsasystematicreview |