OT-Vision: A 3D depth sensing mobile application to aid clinician-led home environment assessments for falls prevention

BackgroundAccurate measurement of the home environment is a critical component of clinician-led falls-risk assessment in occupational therapy. However, traditional paper-based measurement approaches can be time-consuming and may introduce variability, particularly under real-world conditions. Advances in mobile depth-sensing technologies provide new opportunities to support clinicians during in-home assessment tasks.ObjectiveThis paper introduces OT-Vision, a mobile application integrating depth-perception for point-to-point measurement, designed to assist occupational therapists in performing falls-risk assessments within the home.MethodsA within-subjects counterbalanced mixed-methods design was employed with 37 trainee and practising occupational therapists within controlled simulation environments. OT-Vision was compared with the standard paper-based measurement booklet with respect to measurement bias, accuracy, and task completion time. Usability and user experiences were evaluated via the System Usability Scale and semi-structured interviews.ResultsOT-Vision demonstrated broadly comparable levels of measurement bias compared to the paper-based guidance and modestly greater measurement accuracy, with significantly lower absolute measurement error for two items, following Holm-Bonferroni correction. Participants completed most measurement tasks more efficiently using OT-Vision, and usability scores were higher for OT-Vision versus the paper-based booklet. Qualitative findings indicated perceived benefits in workflow efficiency and measurement confidence, alongside challenges associated with reflective surfaces and adoption within established practice.ConclusionsThe findings suggest that mobile depth perception-enabled measurement applications such as OT-Vision may support more efficient and reliable measurement during home environment falls-risk assessments. While further refinement is required to address interaction and surface-related challenges, OT-Vision shows promise as a digital tool to support contemporary occupational therapy assessment practices.