Development of a smart walker for clinical settings: a protocol of an exploratory mixed-methods study

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Medicine
• Rehabilitation Engineering
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Patient mobility is crucial for recovery post-surgery and trauma.
• Smart walkers offer potential benefits for geriatric patients, improving clinical workflows and providing gait/vital data.
• Current walkers lack advanced features for comprehensive patient monitoring and support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an innovative smart walker for clinical use.
• To identify essential features through patient and healthcare professional perspectives.
• To co-design and pilot-test the smart walker with older patients in German clinics.

Main Methods:

• An exploratory sequential mixed-methods approach across three phases.
• Phase I: Scoping literature review and qualitative interviews/observations.
• Phase II: User-centered design with iterative testing; Phase III: Pilot study in a German University Hospital.

Main Results:

• The study is designed to integrate qualitative and quantitative data for comprehensive insights.
• Iterative testing and pilot studies will validate the smart walker's design and usability.
• The project will generate refined insights into feature needs and patient use of smart walkers.

Conclusions:

• The project will yield an innovative smart walker tailored to geriatric patients' needs.
• User-centered design ensures clinical relevance and patient acceptance.
• Findings will inform the future development and implementation of smart mobility aids in healthcare settings.