Assessment of micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) accelerometers built into off the shelf mobile consumer electronic devices for the measurement of human standing balance

Abstract

Recently, advances in mobile consumer electronics technology has significantly changed the way business is conducted in many different industries, including healthcare. This is due to the capabilities of devices such as smartphones and other mobile consumer electronic devices, which incorporate numerous sensors. The benefit of these devices is that they are affordable and don't require any specialized equipment beyond the device within which they are installed. Of specific interest here is the application of mobile consumer electronic devices in the role of patient care and monitoring. Study One investigated the inter- and intrasession reliability of SWAY. Here, using SWAY, subjects balance was evaluated two times per testing session for three sessions separated by a minimum of seven days. Study Two compared SWAY to the BIODEX Balance System SD Athlete Single Leg Stance Protocol. Here subjects performed the SWAY protocol followed by the BIODEX protocol. Study Three compared SWAY to the Abbreviated BESS. Here subjects performed the SWAY while an Athletic Trainer concurrently scored the BESS stances. Results indicate that the SWAY demonstrates excellent inter- and intrasession reliability with ICCs of 0.76 and 0.78 respectively. However, it was found that the SWAY may demonstrate a ceiling effect. A significant negative correlation was found between the BIODEX OSI and SWAY scores (r = -0.407, p = 0.003). Additionally, a significant negative correlation was found between Abbreviated BESS and SWAY scores (r = -0.601, p = 0.000). SWAY may provide a new method for assessing a patient's functional limitations in a fast, quantitative, and clinically meaningful way. SWAY addresses the limitations of functional assessments and instrumented objective assessments while providing an objective and quantitative evaluation of a subject's balance.