ERIC Number: EJ1101991
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016-Jun
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0017-8969
EISSN: N/A
Are Older Adults Receiving Evidence-Based Advice to Prevent Falls Post-Discharge from Hospital?
Lee, Den-Ching A.; Brown, Ted; Stolwyk, Rene; O'Connor, Daniel W.; Haines, Terry P.
Health Education Journal, v75 n4 p448-463 Jun 2016
Background: Older adults experience a high rate of falls when they transition to community-living following discharge from hospital. Objectives: To describe the proportion of older adults who could recall having discussed falls and falls prevention strategies with a health professional within 6 months following discharge from hospital. To describe the recalled content of these discussions and the strategies recommended and/or undertaken to prevent falls. Methods: Prospective cohort study of 155 older adults surveyed prior to discharge from hospital, of whom 123 were followed up at month 3 and/or month 6 in the community post-discharge. Participants were recruited from three Australian hospitals. Questionnaires captured predictive factors that may predispose to a fall and data related to the objectives being examined. Results: Of the 123 participants who had at least one follow-up, 54 reported discussing falls with a health professional (49 discussed falls with their general practitioners). Of the 54 participants who recalled having a discussion, 33 commented that they were asked whether they had fallen over. Only six discussed interventions to prevent falls. However, 44 stated that they attempted a total of 53 strategies to prevent falls post-discharge. Of these strategies, 40 had an absence of evidence of effectiveness, 11 had evidence of effectiveness, while two had either evidence of no benefit/harm or evidence of harm for the prevention of falls. In all, 53 participants reported falling post-discharge, but 42% of them did not recall discussing falls with their health professional. Conclusion: There is considerable scope for health professionals, especially general practitioners, to increase the frequency with which they discuss falls and evidence-based interventions to prevent falls in this population.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Older Adults, Evidence Based Practice, Accidents, Accident Prevention, Hospitals, Patient Education, Institutionalized Persons, Cohort Analysis, Questionnaires, Predictor Variables, Interpersonal Communication, Physician Patient Relationship, Health Personnel, Recall (Psychology), Intervention, Data Analysis, Regression (Statistics), Qualitative Research
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A