Keynote Lectures

Abstract
Falls are a major health concern for older adults, contributing to injury, loss of independence, and significant healthcare costs. In this keynote, I will explore how digital technologies are transforming fall prevention, leveraging wearable sensors, artificial intelligence, and remote monitoring.

After a review of the state of the art in this field and its main open challenges, I will focus on presenting my research group's most recent and ongoing work at the University of Bologna, which has pioneered innovative solutions in digital fall risk assessment. Our recent achievements include refining the FRAT-up model, integrating symbolic AI techniques to enhance fall prediction accuracy, and using wearable sensors to monitor movement patterns and physiological signals in real-world conditions for developing innovative digital biomarkers. Additionally, our studies are investigating the role of sleep quality and heart rate variability as predictive markers of fall risk, paving the way for early intervention strategies.

By combining advanced data analytics with clinically validated assessment tools, these developments represent a significant step forward in proactive and personalized fall prevention. The keynote will highlight how these innovations are shaping the future of elderly care and discuss the next frontier in digital health solutions for mobility preservation.

Abstract
The rapid adoption of digital technology across the world has presented a myriad of new interventions for mental health conditions, through smartphone apps, telehealth platforms, and other novel monitoring and therapeutic technologies. This talk provides a systematic overview of current evidence around digital interventions in mental healthcare, examining the top-tier evidence for their efficacy to date, particularly through meta-analyses of RCTs in depression, anxiety, and stress-related conditions. Along with the empirical evidence, the main challenges to their adoption, and strategies for real-world implementation will be discussed. Within this additional consideration will be given to how socioeconomic and digital divides might influence accessibility and efficacy, potentially exacerbating existing health disparities. Following the discussion of current evidence and issues, the presentation will explore how emerging artificial intelligence (AI) applications, particularly large language models and AI-driven chatbots, are set to transform mental health interventions in future. Alongside this, four key challenges and concerns around using these powerful technologies will be presented, with “real life” examples for each.
Finally, the presentation will highlight an emergent opportunity for harnessing digital interventions in order to address the vast physical health inequalities associated with mental illness; discussing how such technologies may be well-positioned to ‘fill the gap’ in physical healthcare for those with mental illness. Considering the disproportionately higher risk for cardiometabolic disorders and related disparities observed in this vulnerable population, Firth’s “e-PHIT Mental Health” research group are currently exploring how mobile health applications, wearable technologies and AI Agents can be used for ‘enhancing Physical Health In the Treatment of Mental Health’. The latest evidence from our early studies on how existing digital tech and online platforms could be used to encourage physical activity, balanced nutrition, and better sleep in youth with mental illness will be presented. Following this, some additional insights from our ongoing research on potential synergies between traditional care approaches and digital solutions will be shared, and the talk will conclude with a commentary on the importance of designing the future of digital mental healthcare with the end-user’s priorities and preferences in mind.

Abstract
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