In Australia 1 in 3 people aged over 65 will have a fall each year, and many of these will be life-changing for older people.
To help identify fall risks in the home, Associate Professor Lynette Mackenzie from the University of Sydney developed the ‘HOME Falls and Accidents Screening Tool (Home FAST)’, a validated tool that identifies and rates falls risk in the home. The Home FAST tool includes a version for older people themselves and another version for health professionals who advise older people.
In order to reach a much wider audience, Juntos Marketing were commissioned to turn the paper-based version into a digital screening tool.
After the initial stage where we designed and developed a brand look and feel, including a new logo, we undertook the website design, which incorporated clear and intuitive user experience. SEO research guided the name of the website: ‘www.stopfallsathome.com.au’.
While the user interface looks simple, the site clearly guides the two different audiences (older people and health professionals) through separate pathways. The design incorporated digital accessibility principles, and is available in both English and Simplified Chinese.
Behind the scenes the custom-built tools use complex conditional logic based on responses to a set of multiple choice questions. Users are then provided with a risk score and explanation, as well as access to a range of helpful downloadable resources and the ability to download and share results.
By translating a validated screening tool into user-friendly digital format, access has been significantly widened, including to less advantaged groups and to both health professionals and consumers in developing countries. The screening tool has been accessed over 600 times, and in approximately one third of instances, the tool has helped identify people at ‘high risk’ of a fall at home.
