Citation

van der Marck MA, Overeem S, Klok PCM, Bloem BR, Munneke M. J. Am. Geriatr. Soc. 2011; 59(2): 340-344.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1532-5415.2010.03263.x

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the reliability and user experiences of an automated telephone system to monitor falls during a prolonged period of time.

DESIGN: Prospective cohort study.

SETTING: Four neurological outpatient clinics in the Netherlands.

PARTICIPANTS: One hundred nineteen community‐dwelling people with Parkinson's disease without dementia, because falls are common in this population.

MEASUREMENTS: Clinical and demographic data were obtained. The Falls Telephone is a computerized telephone system through which participants can enter the number of falls during a particular period. During a follow‐up of 1 to 40 weekly calls, 2,465 calls were made. In total, 173 no‐fall entries and 115 fall entries were verified using personal telephone interviews. User experiences were evaluated in 90 of the 119 participants using structured telephone interviews.

RESULTS: All no‐fall entries and 78% of fall entries were confirmed to be correct. Sensitivity to detect falls was 100%, and specificity was 87%. Users regarded the Falls Telephone as a convenient tool to monitor falls.

CONCLUSION: The Falls Telephone is a convenient and reliable instrument to monitor falls. The automated system has high specificity, obviating the need for time‐consuming personal follow‐up calls in the majority of nonfallers. As such, the Falls Telephone lends itself well to data collection in large trials with prolonged follow‐up in participants with Parkinson's disease.