Easy To Use Emergency Mobile Device For People At Risk

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Easy To Use Emergency Mobile Device For People At Risk

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=42040

Validated for commercial use in the MobilAlarm project with funding

from the European Commission's eTEN Programme, the small and simple

mobile device allows users to place a call to a service centre in the

event of an emergency, while satellite positioning via GPS provides

information about their location with an accuracy of 50 metres or

less. Weighing less than a hundred grams and as small as a mobile

phone but with four large and clearly discernible buttons, the device

is easy to handle and above all straightforward to use.

" The design is very simple, it doesn't have all the functions of a

mobile phone, but that is what trial users most liked about it, "

explains Stefan Lilischkis, the MobilAlarm project manager at

coordinating partner empirica in Germany.

Though mobile phone penetration among people over 65 has increased

sharply in Europe in recent years it still remains far below the rate

for the broader population as elderly people struggle to come to

terms with the dozens of complex features being packed into modern

phones. They often find the small buttons hard to use, and the small

text in displays and interfaces difficult to read, limiting the ease

and speed with which an elderly person can contact someone when they

are in need. Such problems are compounded if they are suffering from

age-related frailty or Parkinson's disease that impairs motor skills.

" The handset has two large buttons on the side that when pressed

simultaneously initiate a call to the service centre. For people with

diseases such as Parkinson's this is an important feature because it

allows a user to make an emergency call by simply gripping the

device, rather than having to find and press a button, " Lilischkis

says.

A separate button initiates a call to a pre-programmed telephone

number, which could be that of a friend, relative or neighbour, while

enhanced audio features mean the device does not have to be held up

to the ear. Another button is for cancelling a normal phone call.

" When an emergency call is placed to a service centre the operator

who takes the call automatically receives the user's file on their

computer, and, if necessary, can use the GPS tracking to obtain

information about the location of the person on an electronic map, "

the project manager says. " This is particularly important if

emergency services are to find them quickly, especially if the person

does not know where they are or are having difficulty speaking. "

Whereas existing mobile devices with location detection capabilities

typically transmit GPS data via an SMS message, the MobilAlarm system

uses the Care Phone Protocol developed by project partner Attendo

Systems that transmits the data through the voice channel.

" This ensures that the information arrives instantly, compared to an

SMS message which can take minutes or even hours to arrive depending

on network traffic, " Lilischkis notes.

The GSM connection itself was shown to be particularly robust,

allowing connectivity for emergency calls in places where normal

mobile phones were unable to establish a connection.

The system was tested last year with around a hundred elderly users

in the United Kingdom, Spain and Germany who were each given the

device for at least three months. " The general response was very

positive, they liked the simple design and thought the hearing

quality was excellent, " Lilischkis says. " They also liked the peace

of mind it gave them. "

Lothar Jennrich-Gügel, the founder of the German Parkinson Self Help

Group, which was involved in the trials, notes, for example, how

MobilAlarm would increase the quality of life of sufferers of the

disease. " Parkinson patients could be very mobile but abhor going out

because of the risk of facing a life-threatening situation. Based on

this a mobile alarm system is urgently required, " he told the

project.

Though elderly people and those suffering from chronic disease are

the core market for the system, the MobilAlarm partners also see

potential for it to be used by disabled but otherwise healthy people

and possibly by victims of domestic violence or people carrying out

hazardous jobs in remote locations.

Lilischkis says the commercial roll out of the system will probably

target several user groups and involve both the public and private

sector.