Effect of Dissemination of Evidence in Reducing Injuries from Falls

Effective strategies to prevent falls among elderly persons have been identified but are underutilized. In this comparison of a region of Connecticut in which persons were exposed to interventions to prevent falls and a region without such exposure, the interventions were associated with a 9% reduct...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The New England journal of medicine Vol. 359; no. 3; pp. 252 - 261
Main Authors: Tinetti, Mary E, Baker, Dorothy I, King, Mary, Gottschalk, Margaret, Murphy, Terrence E, Acampora, Denise, Carlin, Bradley P, Leo-Summers, Linda, Allore, Heather G
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Boston, MA Massachusetts Medical Society 17.07.2008
Subjects:
Accident Prevention - methods
Accidental Falls - prevention & control
Accidental Falls - statistics & numerical data
Aged
Biological and medical sciences
Connecticut - epidemiology
Craniocerebral Trauma - epidemiology
Craniocerebral Trauma - prevention & control
Education, Medical, Continuing
Female
Fractures, Bone - epidemiology
Fractures, Bone - prevention & control
General aspects
Health Services - statistics & numerical data
Hospitals
Humans
Information Dissemination
Joint Dislocations - epidemiology
Joint Dislocations - prevention & control
Male
Medical sciences
Medicare
Older people
Primary care
Risk Assessment
Connecticut
United States > US
Medicine
Fall
Lesion
Trauma
Dissemination
ISSN:0028-4793, 1533-4406, 1533-4406
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Effective strategies to prevent falls among elderly persons have been identified but are underutilized. In this comparison of a region of Connecticut in which persons were exposed to interventions to prevent falls and a region without such exposure, the interventions were associated with a 9% reduction in serious injuries from falls. These findings suggest that the dissemination of information about fall prevention may reduce numbers of falls and serious injuries. In this comparison of a region of Connecticut in which persons were exposed to interventions to prevent falls and a region without such exposure, the interventions were associated with a 9% reduction in serious injuries from falls. Fall-related injuries are among the most common, morbid, and expensive health conditions involving older adults. 1 – 5 Falls account for 10% of emergency department visits and 6% of hospitalizations among persons over the age of 65 years and are major determinants of functional decline, nursing-home placement, and restricted activity. 6 – 9 The rate of falling rises after the age of 70 years. 1 , 2 , 4 Several factors — such as postural hypotension, the use of multiple medications, and impairments in cognition, vision, balance, gait, and strength — increase the risk of falling and fall injuries. 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 Risk increases as the number . . .
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ISSN:0028-4793
1533-4406
1533-4406
DOI:10.1056/NEJMoa0801748