Digital Technology Bundles: A Testing and Validation Blueprint for Fall Prevention

Falls are the leading cause of injury, both fatal and nonfatal, among adults aged 65 and above. In response, an array of fall-prevention technologies has become available; however, an abundance of “point solutions”—apps, products, services, and devices that address only a single issue or perform a standalone function—have contributed to piecemeal utilization.

Our premise is that the benefits of integrating digital technologies into home settings and care facilities are greatest when they are bundled and deployed together. Building upon our May 2025 report, The Future of Connected Care: Enabling Healthy Longevity and Aging at Home, this brief provides a roadmap for stakeholders in technology, senior housing and care, health care, and the investment community with novel approaches to bundling fall-prevention technology solutions. We propose a taxonomy for classifying fall-prevention technologies and trial frameworks for evaluating them. Our recommendations include:

• grouping fall prevention technologies by their primary purpose into one of four categories, organized through an approach we call Assessment, Prevention, Intervention, and Response (APIR) Classification;
• developing bundles following trials that consider multiple technologies at once, examining how bundles of fall technologies work jointly within the APIR classification framework. We consider a traditional randomized controlled trial and alternative trial designs; and
• bundling different types of technology solutions into a single package to alleviate decision-making burdens, optimize user benefits, and improve health outcomes.