What do people think of StandingTall?

As part of our clinical trials, we ask our participants about their experiences of using StandingTall. One of the key reasons we did this was to improve our understanding of what are the good elements in StandingTall and what we need to change.

 Fifty participants who were part of the first trial (2015-2019) testing the effectiveness of StandingTall were interviewed and asked what they enjoyed and also whether they faced any challenges using the program. This is what they told us…

The good stuff.…

• The overall design of StandingTall was described as user-friendly, clear, and easy-to-understand.
• Participants appreciated the flexibility of StandingTall’s tablet-based online delivery, even preferring it to exercising in a gym.
• StandingTall made it easier to take part in the exercise program, especially for those participants who don’t like group-based exercise programs.
• Participants found the instructor-led video demonstrations consistently positive and felt as though the instructor was in the room with them as they exercised together.
• Participants also talked about seeing an improvement in their physical awareness and confidence with everyday activities.

The not so good stuff....

• Some participants expressed feeling bored whilst following the exercises after 12 months, or indicated mixed feelings about the level of challenge the exercises provided.
• While it was not a deal-breaker, participants also discussed experiencing various challenges with the technology, and determined that some computer literacy is essential for successful engagement.
• Participants reported mixed perceptions of some of the key design features, including progress assessment and reporting features, instructions, graphics, and value-adding features such as educational factsheets.

What does it all mean?

• We learned that StandingTall is a new and enjoyable fall prevention program older people can use to exercise at home.
• People liked StandingTall’s flexibility and convenience, saying it allowed them to exercise when it suited them.
• Despite feeling frustrated by it at times, older people like to use technology.
• We have now redeveloped the app to be even more user-friendly and offer a wider range of exercises to ensure it remains challenging as people’s balance improves.

Author: Meghan Ambrens

Here is a link to the manuscript: https://journals.lww.com/jgpt/Abstract/9000/Exploring_Older_Adults__Experiences_of_a.99611.aspx

Full manuscript details: Ambrens M, Valenzuela T, Stanners, M, Razee H, Chow J, van Schooten K, Close JCT, Clemson L, Zijlstra GAR, Lord SR, Tiedemann A, Alley S, Vandelanotte C, Delbaere K. Exploring older people’s experiences of a home-based, technology-driven balance training exercise program designed to reduce fall risk: a qualitative research study within a randomised controlled trial. Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy. doi: 10.1519/JPT.0000000000000321