Using Visual Health Information Software to re-educate balance in older adults

Abstract

Balance problems in people of third age are one of the most common issues seen by doctors, kinesiotherapists, and occupational therapists, and they are the second main cause of falls, which in turn leads to the main cause of morbidity and disability in older adults. Balance ensures a person’s ability to move and be independent. Both fears of falling and previous falls may lead to physical inactivity, accompanied by an additional physical decline and impaired balance, as well as to a high risk of developing a number of lifestyle-related diseases. Kinesiotherapy outcomes, applied in any form, i.e., recovery or prophylactic, invariably lead to an improvement and healing of a disease or to an improvement of health and quality of life. This paper highlights the use of the visual health information tool as a solution to apply physical exercises based on evidence, developing rehabilitation programs to improve balance, allowing for customization of kinetic programs, and monitoring whether the kinetic treatment exercises are effective, with the option to correct/adjust/customize them. In order to assess the effectiveness of this software, we excluded 18 function tests that can be evaluated using the visual health information software to apply the balance assessment scale in specific activities (ABC test), and the results revealed statistically significant improved score in the experimental batch compared with the control batch (F = 94,285 vs. F = 29,682 at a significant threshold p< 0,001). The research design involved the use of two batches: an experimental (n=10) and a control (n=10). Both batches comprised of 20 institutionalized patients. We can conclude that the use of both visual health information exercise programs and the visual health information assessment scales are of real benefit to both specialists overseeing the proper carry out of kinetic-like activities, and the study participants, who can perform the set of exercises easily. This can be achieved owing to the fact that the software provides the possibility to assess how the exercise is performed by monitoring graphical descriptions and the over-time effects of the program during the kinesiotherapy sessions.