@article{ref1,
title="Falls among older general practice patients: a 2-year nationwide surveillance study",
journal="Family practice",
year="2014",
author="Boffin, Nicole and Moreels, Sarah and Vanthomme, Katrien and Van Casteren, Viviane",
volume="31",
number="3",
pages="281-289",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Falling among older persons is a multifactorial health condition needing multifactorial care. Several targeted preventive interventions and their coordination are considered to be general practitioner (GP)-specific tasks. OBJECTIVES: To estimate the incidence of falls among older non-institutionalized general practice patients in Belgium (2009-10) and to describe the main characteristics of falls, fallers and fall risks; factors associated with multiple fall risks and the co-occurrence of fall risks; patient status 3 months later and care delivery. METHODS: A 2-year nationwide cross-sectional study based on data collected by the Belgian network of Sentinel General Practices on all non-institutionalized persons aged ≥65 years consulting their GP for new fall-related injuries. RESULTS: Baseline data were collected on 1503 persons and valid follow-up data were available on 715 persons (79%). The yearly incidence of older persons with fall-related injuries was estimated at 2.5% of the older general practice population; 39% of patients had also received hospital care, physician-specialist or nursing home care. A multifactorial risk profile was observed in 59% and associated with increasing age, recurrent falling, falling at home and during lower level activity. The clustering of frailty-specific fall risks was higher than expected by chance. At follow-up, 46% of at-risk patients had received physical therapy, 47% were using assistive devices, and medication had been reviewed in 28% of patients taking psychopharmacy and 17% of patients with polypharmacy. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows a high burden of care for fall-related injuries in older general practice patients and provides baseline data for its future monitoring.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0263-2136",
doi="10.1093/fampra/cmu002",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/fampra/cmu002"
}