Intel-GE Care Innovations, a joint venture between Intel Corporation and GE Healthcare, and Kinesis Health Technologies have announced a partnership to market and distribute QTUG, a mobility and falls risk assessment technology. QTUG is designed to give a more comprehensive view of an individual's risk of falling.

QTUG is intended for use by healthcare professionals who assess falls risk in older adults, such as falls specialists within hospitals and community-based care nurses to help eliminate falls for residents.

"Falls are a major cause of injury and hospitalization, especially among older Americans. I believe our partnership with Kinesis Health Technologies will bring physical therapists and other clinicians a superior method of determining an individual's risk for falling, and provide the necessary support and information in order to intervene and reduce that risk," said Mr Sean Slovenski, chief executive officer at Care Innovations.

According to Mr Seamus Small, chief executive officer of Kinesis Health Technologies, "The direct and indirect costs of falls to society are enormous. However, many falls are avoidable, so more effective preventive measures can have a big impact on improving quality of life and reducing financial costs associated with falls."

In addition to identifying those patients at high risk of falls, QTUG can also be used to assess a patient's response to therapy on an on-going basis.

Falls among older adults are a major problem worldwide, with an estimated 30 percent of adults over 65 falling each year.