Supporting Parkinson’s Research, One Step at a Time.

Falls are a common and often devastating part of life with Parkinson’s. Despite their impact, they are rarely tracked in a consistent, structured way that allows meaningful clinical intervention.

Dr. Rosie Morris, a leading academic in neurological physiotherapy, identified the need for a better solution. With support from an NIHR Advanced Fellowship, she set out to build a digital tool that could capture detailed fall data, support self-management, and give clinicians and researchers useful insight.

The goal was clear: a mobile app that is easy to use, medically valuable, and empowering for patients and caregivers, without overwhelming them with complexity. That meant addressing several challenges: making fall reporting quick, intuitive, and non-intrusive; designing for multiple user types including patients, carers, and professionals; capturing clinically useful data while protecting privacy; and providing summaries and insights within the app itself.

Accessibility was also essential. The interface needed to be inclusive and usable for people with a wide range of abilities. And because the project is research-driven, the app had to be distributed outside public app stores, which gives a controlled testing environment that protects data integrity.

• Easy incident logging for Falls and Near Misses
  
  
• One-question-per-screen UX with emoji-based severity ratings
  
  
• Medication tracking integrated into the reporting flow
  
  
• In-app statistics dashboard with filterable timeframes
  
  
• Customisable fields: causes, location, activities, landing direction
  
  
• Dedicated homepage with quick access to main functions
  
  
• Guided onboarding for patients and caregivers
  
  
• Admin CMS for data export and research sharing
  
  
• Functional offline logging for consistent data capture
  

The iFell MVP provides a structured, scalable platform for fall tracking, with immediate value for users and researchers. By capturing consistent data on incidents and near misses, the app helps healthcare teams understand risk factors, adjust treatment plans, and support more targeted rehabilitation.

For people living with Parkinson’s, the app gives a simple way to track their own patterns, talk with caregivers, and feel more in control of their condition. The interface is built for real-world use as well as academic insight, and supports users with varying tech confidence and accessibility needs.

Further testing is underway and future features are already scoped, including improved onboarding, fall prevention tips, and shared caregiver accounts. iFell is well placed to develop into a useful tool in Parkinson’s care and research.