Abstract
Aim: To determine whether a multifactorial intervention can decrease the frequency of secondary falls in older patients presenting to an emergency department with a fall. Methods: A randomized control design comparing multifactorial follow-up intervention to standard care. Risk assessments included Falls Risk for Older Persons—Community Setting Screening Tool (FROP Com Screen) and the Two Item Screening Tool, which were compared for sensitivity. Results: Eight patients (14%) in the control group and 11 patients (20.8%) in the intervention group experienced falls (p = 0.373). The proportion of those identified as high risk that fell was similar between the FROP Com Screen (17%) and the Two Item Screening Tool (17%). Patients on average waited 35 days in the control group and 40 days in the intervention group for an outpatient appointment. Conclusions: There was no significant benefit of the intervention. Our findings support interdisciplinary collaboration, multifactorial intervention, and risk management for falls prevention.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 182-194 |
Number of pages | 13 |
Journal | Physical and Occupational Therapy in Geriatrics |
Volume | 35 |
Issue number | 3-4 |
Early online date | 4 Apr 2017 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2 Oct 2017 |