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Citation |
Haines TP, Bennell KL, Osborne RH, Hill KD. J. Clin. Epidemiol. 2006; 59(2): 168-175. |
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Affiliation |
The University of Melbourne and Peter James Centre, LB 1, P.O. Forest Hill, Victoria 3131, Australia; The University of Queensland and Princess Alexandra Hospital, Ipswich Road, Woolloongabba, Queensland 4102, Australia. |
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Copyright |
(Copyright © 2006, Elsevier Publishing) |
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DOI |
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PMID |
16426952 |
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Abstract |
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To describe the diagnostic accuracy and practical application of the Peter James Centre Falls Risk Assessment Tool (PJC-FRAT), a multidisciplinary falls risk screening and intervention deployment instrument. METHODS: In phase 1, the accuracy of the PJC-FRAT was prospectively compared to a gold standard (the STRATIFY) on a cohort of subacute hospital patients (n = 122). In phase 2, the PJC-FRAT was temporally reassessed using a subsequent cohort (n = 316), with results compared to those of phase 1. Primary outcomes were falls (events), fallers (patients who fell), and hospital completion rates of the PJC-FRAT. RESULTS: In phase 1, PJC-FRAT accuracy of identifying fallers showed sensitivity of 73% (bootstrap 95% confidence interval CI = 55, 90) and specificity of 75% (95% CI = 66, 83), compared with the STRATIFY (cutoff >/= 2/5) sensitivity of 77% (95% CI = 59, 92) and specificity of 51% (95% CI = 41, 61). This difference was not significant. In phase 2, accuracy of nursing staff using the PJC-FRAT was lower. PJC-FRAT completion rates varied among disciplines over both phases: nurses and physiotherapists, >/=90%; occupational therapists, >/=82%; and medical officers, >/=57%. CONCLUSION: The PJC-FRAT was practical and relatively accurate as a predictor of falls and a deployment instrument for falls prevention interventions, although continued staff education may be necessary to maintain its accuracy. |