Monash University > News and Events > Monash Memo

Identifying mobility needs of older Australians

18 February 2009

Dr Natalie de Morton

Dr Natalie de Morton has devised a simple mobility test to quickly identify the patient's level of mobility and treatment options.

Mobility, like blood tests or blood pressure readings, is a very important indicator of health status.

With the DEMMI (De Morton Mobility Index) patients are asked a series of questions and then undergo some basic physical tasks. Medical staff can apply the same test to any age group and to any level of ability and health.

"We wanted it to be a quick and easy test to administer so it could be used where it will be most valuable, in the acute clinical setting, when instant diagnoses can be incredibly important to determining potential treatment options for a patient," Dr de Morton said.

"On average it takes just under nine minutes to administer."

The DEMMI uses a scorecard with 15 simple physical tests for assessing the mobility of elderly patients and includes questions such as: Can the patient stand for 10 seconds with one foot in front of the other, roll over in bed or walk unaided for 50 metres?

Less than a year after Dr de Morton became the first student to complete a doctorate at Monash University's new Department of Physiotherapy, many health services in Australia and overseas have applied her work.

Two Australian universities have added the DEMMI to their courses and European collaborators will soon translate it into Dutch and German. Health authorities in the US, Canada, Scandinavia and Europe have also expressed interest.

Dr de Morton said she was overwhelmed with the feedback.

"Clinicians like it because it's quick, has minimal equipment requirements, it's inexpensive and provides important information regarding patient mobility," Dr de Morton said.