OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of a referral-based targeted multifactorial falls prevention intervention on the occurrence of recurrent falls and injuries in older people presenting to an emergency department (ED) after a fall and discharged directly home from the ED. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. Assessors of outcomes were unaware of group allocation. SETTING:Seven EDs in metropolitan Melbourne, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: Inclusion criteria were community dwelling, aged 60 and older, presenting to an ED after a fall, and discharged directly home. Exclusion criteria were unable to follow simple instructions or walk independently. INTERVENTION: Targeted referrals to existing community services and health promotion recommendations, based on the falls risk factors found in a baseline assessment. MEASUREMENTS: Primary outcome measures were falls and resultant injuries occurring over the 12-month follow-up period. Falls and injury data were collected using falls calendars supported by medical record reviews. RESULTS:Three hundred sixty-one participants were randomized to the standard care group and 351 to the intervention group. No significant difference was found between the two groups over the 12-month follow-up period in number of fallers (relative risk (RR)=1.11, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.95-1.31] or number of participants sustaining an injury from a fall (RR=1.06, 95% CI=0.86-1.29). CONCLUSION: This study does not support the use of a referral-based targeted multifactorial intervention program to reduce subsequent falls or fall injuries in older people who present to an ED after a fall.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of a referral-based targeted multifactorial falls prevention intervention on the occurrence of recurrent falls and injuries in older people presenting to an emergency department (ED) after a fall and discharged directly home from the ED. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. Assessors of outcomes were unaware of group allocation. SETTING: Seven EDs in metropolitan Melbourne, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: Inclusion criteria were community dwelling, aged 60 and older, presenting to an ED after a fall, and discharged directly home. Exclusion criteria were unable to follow simple instructions or walk independently. INTERVENTION: Targeted referrals to existing community services and health promotion recommendations, based on the falls risk factors found in a baseline assessment. MEASUREMENTS: Primary outcome measures were falls and resultant injuries occurring over the 12-month follow-up period. Falls and injury data were collected using falls calendars supported by medical record reviews. RESULTS: Three hundred sixty-one participants were randomized to the standard care group and 351 to the intervention group. No significant difference was found between the two groups over the 12-month follow-up period in number of fallers (relative risk (RR)=1.11, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.95-1.31] or number of participants sustaining an injury from a fall (RR=1.06, 95% CI=0.86-1.29). CONCLUSION: This study does not support the use of a referral-based targeted multifactorial intervention program to reduce subsequent falls or fall injuries in older people who present to an ED after a fall.
Authors: Christopher R Carpenter; Manish N Shah; Fredric M Hustey; Kennon Heard; Lowell W Gerson; Douglas K Miller Journal: J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci Date: 2011-04-17 Impact factor: 6.053
Authors: O Flabeau; G Laurendeau; H Laksir; S Castaings-Pelet; S Harston; I Bourdel-Marchasson Journal: J Nutr Health Aging Date: 2013-02 Impact factor: 4.075
Authors: Alexander X Lo; Cynthia J Brown; Patricia Sawyer; Richard E Kennedy; Richard M Allman Journal: J Am Geriatr Soc Date: 2014-04-14 Impact factor: 5.562
Authors: Nada Hammouda; Christopher R Carpenter; William W Hung; Adriane Lesser; Sylviah Nyamu; Shan Liu; Cameron J Gettel; Aaron Malsch; Edward M Castillo; Savannah Forrester; Kimberly Souffront; Samuel Vargas; Elizabeth M Goldberg Journal: Acad Emerg Med Date: 2021-06-15 Impact factor: 3.451
Authors: Lesley D Gillespie; M Clare Robertson; William J Gillespie; Catherine Sherrington; Simon Gates; Lindy M Clemson; Sarah E Lamb Journal: Cochrane Database Syst Rev Date: 2012-09-12
Authors: Pey June Tan; Ee Ming Khoo; Karuthan Chinna; Keith D Hill; Phillip J H Poi; Maw Pin Tan Journal: BMC Geriatr Date: 2014-06-21 Impact factor: 3.921