Risk Assessment and the Impact of Point of Contact Intervention Following Emergency Department Presentation with a Fall

Kristie J. Harper, Annette D. Barton, Chrianna Bharat, Antonio C. Petta, Deborah G. Edwards, Glenn Arendts, Antonio Celenza

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)

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 languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)182-194
Number of pages13
JournalPhysical and Occupational Therapy in Geriatrics
Volume35
Issue number3-4
Early online date4 Apr 2017
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2 Oct 2017

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