From complex gait analysis to actionable insights: part 1

March 17, 2025
Gait analysis is a powerful yet underutilized tool for senior health, offering critical insights into balance, strength, and cognitive function. OneStep’s smartphone-based technology transforms complex gait data into actionable insights, enabling real-time fall risk assessment and proactive care without the need for costly lab equipment.

Turn any smartphone into an easily accessible gait lab

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From complex gait analysis to actionable insights

Part 1: A modern approach to collecting gait data for improved senior outcomes

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Uncovering hidden value in gait analysis for seniors

Every step you take tells a story. Your gait (the way you walk) reveals key insights about your health, acting as a silent messenger of changes in strength, balance, and even cognitive function. Experts consider gait the 'sixth vital sign' because it provides critical health insights, just like blood pressure and heart rate.  

Studies show that one in four adults aged 65 and older experiences a fall each year, making it a leading cause of injury and loss of independence among seniors. Subtle changes in gait, often undetectable to the naked eye, can predict serious issues for seniors. For example, a decrease in gait speed by only 0.1 m/s is correlated with 7% increase in fall risk, 12% increase in early mortality risk, 8% increase in cardiovascular disease risk, and potential cognitive decline.

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Advancements in gait monitoring and analysis

Traditional gait labs, designed to detect and analyze subtle changes in movement, have largely been confined to clinical research settings. These labs rely on specialized equipment, dedicated facilities, and highly trained personnel. With costs running into millions of dollars and availability restricted to select locations, they remain impractical for widespread use in everyday clinical practice.

OneStep transforms gait analysis from a clinical research tool into an everyday health metric, giving both patients and providers real-time, real-world insights that drive better mobility and care. The OneStep solution allows clinicians to uncover what have traditionally been unmined insights.

So how does OneStep technology support and enable proactive care for seniors? Older adults are increasingly adopting smartphone technology, with 61% of adults aged 65 and older owning a smartphone as of 2021, according to the Pew Research Center. OneStep’s solution harnesses this trend to enable continuous gait monitoring, simplifying routine assessment of fall risk and other health concerns while enabling timely interventions.

OneStep seamlessly measures gait as seniors go about their daily activities, transforming complex data into clear, clinically relevant insights for healthcare providers. No additional equipment or complicated analysis is required. By capturing movement during a senior’s natural routine, OneStep delivers gait insights that are not only precise but also reflective of real-world mobility. This enables providers to gain the most accurate and meaningful understanding of a patient’s gait.

Seniors can manually record activities like walks or prescribed tests (TUG, STS) or enable background monitoring for seamless gait tracking. 

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Delivering proactive, preventative support for fall risk

OneStep leverages AI to analyze data collected from a senior's smartphone, turning subjective observations into objective, actionable insights. One standout feature is its automatic Fall Risk Assessment (FRA), which is calculated using an advanced algorithm. This algorithm is built on evidence-based testing clusters recognized in current research as the gold standard for fall risk screening. Key gait parameters are analyzed to generate the FRA, ensuring accurate and reliable evaluations, including:

  • Velocity
  • Cadence
  • Stance asymmetry
  • Step length asymmetry
  • Double support percentage
  • History of falls
  • Timed Up and Go (TUG) test results
  • Sit-to-stand (STS) performance
  • Fear of falling (FoF)

The FRA automatically generates a fall risk score, helping clinicians make informed decisions that contribute to fall prevention. With OneStep, clinicians get actionable gait insights without complex calculations, costly equipment, or lab-based testing.

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OneStep is bringing gait analysis to everyone

By simplifying gait analysis, OneStep has made an essential health metric (the "sixth vital sign") an important part of care. Its smartphone-based approach eliminates the need for traditional gait labs or extra equipment, allowing older adults to track and monitor their walking patterns seamlessly from home - making the data more accessible anytime and anywhere for clinical analysis by their clinician.

OneStep provides healthcare providers with continuous, actionable insights into seniors' mobility, helping to detect issues early, prevent falls, and improve overall well-being. This innovative solution is tailored to support the unique needs of older adults, preventing falls while promoting independence and a better quality of life.

Stay tuned for the second installment of this two-part blog series, where we explore the powerful, real-time insights available to providers. We'll discuss how proactive interventions can significantly enhance care efficacy and improve outcomes in senior care.

Schedule a call with us today. Discover how OneStep turns complex data into clear, actionable insights that improve care, cut costs, generate revenue, and save lives.

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