Digital STEADI: A home-based digital fall prevention program for older adults
Official title: Randomized Control Trial to Test the Efficacy of the Digital STEADI Program.
Run by Friendi.fi Corporation · NCT07852650 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A home-based digital program using AI-driven conversational agents tests if a guided fall-prevention exercise plan can reduce fall risk for older adults with mild cognitive impairment living independently.
Quick facts
| Phase | Phase1; Phase2 |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Ages | 50 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 300 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Friendi.fi Corporation Industry-sponsored |
| Locations | 1 site (Atlanta, Georgia) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | September 4, 2026 |
| Main results expected | May 2028 |
| Study ends | May 2028 |
| Registry record updated | October 1, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07852650 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are independently living older adults with mild cognitive impairment who are at risk of falling and can participate in English-speaking, non-institutional settings.
✕Probably not a fit
Participants without fall risk or those unable to engage with digital tools may see limited benefit from this intervention.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This study tests a digital fall-prevention program based on CDC's STEADI, delivered through a tablet or mobile chat with AI-guided coaching and human oversight. It combines Otago exercises for strength and balance with continuous coaching, monitoring, and escalation to clinicians as needed. The approach aims to increase access, adherence, and coordination of care for community-dwelling older adults at risk of falling, including those with mild cognitive impairment. The trial uses two digital agents and a standard of care comparison to assess feasibility, safety, and preliminary efficacy in reducing fall risk.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, participants could gain easier access to consistent fall-prevention coaching and exercise, potentially lowering their risk of falls.
How similar studies have gone: Similar digital and AI-supported fall-prevention approaches have shown feasibility and safety in cognitively normal and frail older adults, with mixed but encouraging signals for adherence and outcomes.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score between 26 and 30 * Able to walk independently with or without an assistive device. * Able to rise independently from a standard desk or dining room chair without arms. * Live independently in a non-institutional or senior community setting. * Able to speak, hear and understand English * Have 20/40 vision from 10 ft with or without correction (e.g., glasses) * Willing to participate in the requirements of the research program. * Able to meet in a physical study location on Emory campus. * Screen positive for fall risk per the Stay Independent screener. Exclusion Criteria: * acute medical illness requiring hospitalization. * hospitalized in the past 1 month. * diagnosed with dementia (ADRD) or a neurodegenerative disease other than MCI (e.g., Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis). * uncontrolled congestive heart failure (requiring hospitalization in the past year and/or unable to the equivalent of one city block). * history of hospitalization for stroke in the past 1 year. * inability to perform study procedures.
Where it's running
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Emory University School of Medicine
Atlanta, Georgia, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Madeleine E Hackney, PhD — Emory University
- Study coordinator: Chantal Kerssens, MSc, PhD
- Email: chantal@friendi.fi
- Phone: 404-282-0378
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.