Internet of things gerontechnology for fall prevention in older adults: an integrative review

Abstract

Objective: To identify in the literature the Internet of Things gerontechnology developed to prevent accidents by falls in older adults. Methods: This integrative review was carried out from January to May 2020. Articles without period or language restriction with individuals aged 60 years or older addressing the use of Internet of Things gerontechnology for fall prevention were included. Duplicate articles were excluded. The search was performed by the PIE strategy (Population, Intervention, Effect/Assessment), resulting in the question: “What Internet of Things gerontechnology developed for accident prevention by falls in older adults available in the literature?”. It was performed in the MEDLINE/PubMed, LILACS, CINAHL, Scopus and Web of Science databases. Year, type of study, country, professionals involved, outcome, development site and classification in Internet of Things gerontechnology and prototypes were identified. Results: Twenty-three Internet of Things gerontechnology were identified. The years 2018 and 2019 had higher numbers of publications. There was a predominance of descriptive studies by computer science professionals and engineers and developed in Europe, Asia, North America and Oceania. Eight Internet of Things gerontechnology and 15 prototypes were found, seven sensors, five devices, three serious games and systems, two robots and one exergames, virtual reality and application. Most gerontechnology sought to improve mobility and balance, five of which were developed in the hospital and home environments, respectively. Conclusion: The Internet of Things gerontechnology can be used as resources to assist in fall prevention and strengthening functional capacity. However, future research is needed to analyze the effectiveness of this type of technology for fall prevention in older adults.