Feasibility of sensor technologies data to enhance digital comprehensive geriatric assessment system
Atefeh Panahi
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AbstractBackground: As Canada’s population ages, delivering high-quality, personalized care to older adults, particularly in home and community settings, has become increasingly important. The interRAI Home Care (RAI-HC) assessment is widely used to evaluate older adults’ health, functional status, and ability to live safely at home. However, its effectiveness can be limited by infrequent updates, administrative burden, and reliance on episodic data collection. Integrating sensor technologies into a digital version of the RAI-HC may help address these challenges.
Research aim/question(s): This study examines the technical and conceptual feasibility of using sensor-generated data to support selected components of the interRAI Home Care (RAI-HC) assessment, as a foundation for developing a Digital Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (D-CGA) system.
Methods: A five-stage feasibility framework was applied. First, commercially available technologies were identified through structured searches of major Canadian consumer-facing online platforms, alongside AGE-WELL–affiliated technologies. Second, a structured extraction matrix was developed to document sensor characteristics, data types, interoperability features, and validation evidence. Third, sensor-derived data were mapped to geriatric health domains based on existing literature. Fourth, these literature-informed domains and data types were analytically aligned with RAI-HC assessment sub-domains and questions using the interRAI Version 10.0 Standard Edition. Finally, initial clinical validation was conducted through consultation with a clinician experienced in RAI-HC implementation.
Results: Eighty-three sensor technologies (49 commercial and 34 AGE-WELL) were retained. Mapping identified 15 RAI-HC assessment questions for which sensor-derived data could potentially contribute. Clinical validation indicated that five questions could be fully supported by sensor data, five partially supported, and five required clinical judgment.
Conclusions: Sensor technologies show selective potential to support components of the interRAI Home Care assessment, while many RAI-HC items remain dependent on clinical interpretation. These findings support the feasibility of partial digitization, rather than full automation, of comprehensive geriatric assessment within a future D-CGA system.Keywords: RAI-HC, comprehensive geriatric assessment, sensor technology, digital health
Atefeh Panahi (2026). Feasibility of sensor technologies data to enhance digital comprehensive geriatric assessment system. Gerontechnology, 25(4), 1-15
https://doi.org/10.4017/gt.2026.25.4.1656.7