Achieve Accurate Weight Readings in Patients with Parkinson’s

April 28, 2023

Parkinson’s Awareness Month happens every April, but for those living with the disease, it is a daily awareness, not regulated to just one month. Roughly one million people in the US are diagnosed with and/or living with Parkinson’s. This number is expected to grow in the coming decade.

One of the more noticeable side effects is a physical tremor. This uncontrollable shaking can alter everyday activities and make routine tasks more difficult. Standing still for a period of time can prove to be difficult and one such task is the common occurrence of being weighed. Whether in a doctor’s office for a routine appointment, a hospital visit or even daily weighings at an individual’s home, stepping on a scale and standing still is a normal event. For individuals living with Parkinson’s, this routine task can prove both difficult and frustrating.

Typical medical scales require the patient to stand still for a given amount of time in order for an accurate weight reading to be captured. This might not be an issue, unless you are a patient with Parkinson’s and standing still for any given amount of time is unattainable. Befour, Inc., manufacture of precision digital healthcare scales, recognized this and designed a scale that would accurately capture a patient’s weight, regardless of how still they stood. This unique, proprietary software, called MotionLock, is engineered into every Professional Medical Scale in Befour’s line.

How MotionLock Technology works:

In most cases the scale will display a true, accurate weight based on a series of

consistent and stable measurements.  However, if a person or object is moving on the

platform, the scale may not achieve consistent readings that are required to give a

“stable” weight.  This condition is indicated by moving dashes on the display.  If

movement on the platform continues for seven seconds, the scale will automatically

activate the MotionLock feature and “AVG WT” will be displayed on the console.

Because of the movement on the platform, average weight indicates that the scale was

not able to achieve a true measurement in line with the listed accuracy specification. 

However, the average weight deviation from the true weight of a person or object will be

minimal. Weighing yourself or a patient on a scale incorporated with this technology

results in a successful weight reading.

The physical effects of Parkinson’s can make certain activities harder, but obtaining an

accurate weight reading shouldn’t be one of them. MotionLock Technology doesn’t

require the caregiver, or the person being weighed, to perform any additional steps. The

activation is something that happens without intervention. Most scales in the healthcare

field today have difficulty achieving an accurate weight readings when the user cannot

hold still for a period of time. Befour’s solution is MotionLock Technology, a unique

proprietary software that facilities a quick and accurate weight even for the most

unsteady user.  In light of Parkinson’s Awareness Month, if this technology can benefit

you or any of your patients, we encourage you to visit befour.com for more information

on the many scale offerings available.