ERIC Number: EJ1037231
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014-Sep
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0017-8969
EISSN: N/A
Falls Prevention Education for Older Adults during and after Hospitalization: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Lee, Den-Ching A.; Pritchard, Elizabeth; McDermott, Fiona; Haines, Terry P.
Health Education Journal, v73 n5 p530-544 Sep 2014
Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of patient education in reducing falls, promoting behavioural change and the uptake of prevention activities in older adults during and after hospitalization. Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: A systematic search of five health science databases was performed up to November 2012. Studies that investigated patient education as a single intervention or in a multifactorial falls prevention programme in the hospital and/or post-discharge community settings, were eligible for inclusion. Standard meta-analysis methods were used to assess the effectiveness of patient education compared to usual care. Tests for heterogeneity, subgroup meta-analyses and a priori subgroup meta-analyses were performed for primary outcomes where appropriate. Primary outcomes were incidence of falls, falls-related injury and healthcare use due to falls. Secondary outcomes were mechanisms of behavioural change in falls prevention. Qualitative data were analysed by narrative review. Results: Falls prevention programmes that contained patient education were effective in reducing fall rates amongst hospital inpatients and post-discharge populations (risk ratio [RR] 0.77, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.69 to 0.87), and in reducing the proportion of patients who became fallers in hospital (RR 0.78, 95% CI 0.7 to 0.87). Patient education generally increased knowledge about falls and awareness of prevention strategies. The uptake of strategies may be dependent on the activities being targeted. Conclusion: Falls prevention education should be recommended for older adults while in hospital and following discharge. Falls education programmes should consider the use of intensive face-to-face patient education with multimedia materials in preference to provision of written information alone or brief amounts of interpersonal contact.
Descriptors: Older Adults, Accidents, Accident Prevention, Hospitals, Patient Education, Meta Analysis, Databases, Injuries, Behavior Change, Qualitative Research, Personal Narratives, Online Searching, Self Efficacy
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Information Analyses
Education Level: Adult Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A