Development and evaluation of a digitally based functional fitness self-assessment and monitoring tool for older adults.

BACKGROUND: Maintaining physical function is central to healthy ageing and is emphasised in health policy aimed at shifting care from treatment to prevention. However, accessible tools that support routine monitoring of functional fitness remain limited despite evidence demonstrating links to adverse health outcomes. A Functional Fitness Monitoring Tool (FFMT) was developed as a digital, self-administered platform enabling older adults and healthcare professionals to assess and track physical function. The study aimed to; 1) evaluate perceived importance and usability; 2) compare between-session reliability of self-administered (SL) versus instructor-administered (IL) assessments. METHOD: Thirty-three community-dwelling older adults (68 ± 6 years) completed three SL assessments followed by two IL assessments, or vice versa. The FFMT incorporated nine validated functional tests with digital instructions, demonstration videos, and a results-monitoring interface. After all assessments, participants completed an online usability survey. RESULTS: Between-session reliability across SL and IL assessments was good to excellent (ICC > 0. 816). Reliability remained across groups, though wider confidence intervals appeared for initial SL trials in some tests. Thresholds for measurable change were small. Participants found the FFMT easy to use, interpret, and valuable for long-term monitoring. CONCLUSION: The FFMT demonstrates high reliability and usability, with self-administered assessments performing comparably to instructor-led administration. These findings support the FFMT as an accessible, scalable tool capable of enabling accurate self-monitoring of functional fitness across clinical, community, and population settings, with potential to facilitate early detection of functional decline and promote prevention-focused healthy ageing.