BU researchers develop new digital approach to manage frailty and long term health conditions

Researchers at Bournemouth University’s Ageing & Dementia Research Centre (ADRC) have developed new digital tools to help manage frailty and improve the quality of life for older adults.

Frailty affects one in ten people over the age of 65 and can lead to a higher risk of falls, disability and a poorer quality of life.

DIgitAL cOaching for fRailty – or DIALOR – gives patients access at home to a tailored digital app.

The app gives users information about exercises, nutrition and wellbeing plans that support the condition they have.

It also provides access to wider information and the services they might need in the community.

A series of digital health coaching sessions then guides and prompts the person to change their behaviours.

It also enables people to make informed healthcare choices around what matters most to them, with the help of a trained professional.

DIALOR is targeting people with frailty and long-term conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma to try to reverse or reduce decline in frailty and help people live well for longer.

It is hoped that the long-term benefit of this will mean that there will be less demand on local health and social care services in the future.

Professor Jane Murphy, Project Lead, said: “DIALOR uses two established healthcare techniques that we’ve combined to provide an effective digital system of self-management.

“Firstly, the technique of health coaching allows the patient to have a series of individual sessions with a healthcare provider to involve them in their health and care, and support healthy, sustainable behaviour change by challenging a person to identify their own goals and transform their goals into action.

“The second approach is to give access to a digital app so that they can manage the conditions themselves.

“This allows us to provide an effective system of care focusing on exercise, nutrition, wellbeing and access to information and services.

“Once the system is in place, it is managed by the patient themselves at home.”

The DIALOR team at BU worked in collaboration with Dorset-based social enterprise and charity Help & Care, which supports people and communities to live the lives they choose.

Matt Doyle, Locality Manager, said: “We are always delighted to support our local communities and being involved in a project like this is tremendously exciting.

“We are hoping that this research will inform good practice going forward and will lead to a fruitful partnership with Bournemouth University, allowing for further opportunities to take an active part in vital research and development.”

The project has also been a collaboration between a number of health partners across Dorset including University Hospitals Dorset (UHD) and local primary care networks who have worked with the team of researchers.

It has been designed so that other health organisations in the UK can easily adopt DIALOR.

The aim is that the project can be rolled out across the UK.

With more patients managing their health conditions independently, in the community, the hope is that there will be less of a burden on healthcare services in the future.