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Citation
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Paul SS, Li Q, Harvey L, Carroll T, Priddis A, Tiedemann A, Clemson L, Lord SR, Close JC, Sherrington C. Health Promot. J. Austr. 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub. |
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Abstract
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ISSUE ADDRESSED: We describe the reach of the scale-up of Stepping On, a fall prevention program targeting community-dwellers aged ≥65 years in NSW, along with fall-related ambulance service use and fall-related hospitalisations after scale-up.
METHODS: Data on program provision were received from Local Health Districts. Routinely-collected fall-related ambulance usage and hospital admissions in NSW residents aged ≥65 years between 2009 and 2015 were compared within Statistical Local Areas prior to and following implementation of Stepping On using multilevel models.
RESULTS: Between 2009-2014 the program was delivered in 1,077 sites to 10,096 older adults. Rates of fall-related ambulance use and hospital admissions per 100-person-years were 1-2 in people aged 66-74, 4-5 in people aged 75-84 and 12-13 in people aged ≥85. These rates increased over time (p<.001). The interaction between time and program delivery was not significant for fall-related ambulance use or hospital admissions. The time-related increase in fall-related ambulance usage in people aged 75-84 years may have been moderated by the Stepping On program (rate ratio 0.97, 95% CI 0.93-1.00, p=.045).
CONCLUSIONS: There was no indication of a reduced rate of fall-related ambulance use or hospital admissions across the entire sample. Ambulance call-outs for falls in people aged 75-84 years may have reduced following program participation. SO WHAT?: Program scale-ups need to reach a large proportion of the target population with a focus on those groups contributing most to fall-related health service utilisation. Linking individual participants' health data as part of large-scale evaluations may provide better insights into program outcomes.
Language: en |