Citation

Russell MA, Hill KD, Day LM, Blackberry I, Schwartz J, Giummarra MJ, Dorevitch M, Ibrahim JE, Dalton AC, Dharmage SC. J. Am. Geriatr. Soc. 2010; 58(12): 2265-2274.

Affiliation

From the *Preventive and Public Health Division, National Ageing Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; †Department of Molecular, Environmental, Genetic and Analytic Epidemiology, School of Population Health and ∥Department of General Practice, Melbourne Medical School, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; ‡Musculoskeletal Research Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, Latrobe University/Northern Health, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia; §Accident Research Centre and ‡‡Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, **Monash University, Victoria, Australia; #Aged Care Assessment Services, Western Health, Footscray, Victoria, Australia; and ††Aged and Residential Care Department, Austin Health, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1532-5415.2010.03191.x

PMID

21143436

Abstract

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.

Language: en