Chronoprevention in hospital falls of older people: protocol for a mixed-method study.
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ABSTRACT: Background
Accidental falls in hospitals are serious events concerning the safety of the patients. Recent studies demonstrated that the time of falls is a key factor to be considered in prevention. It has been shown that the time of day, the day of the week and the month of the year impact on the occurrence of falls. The aim of the study is to determine the effect of the application of a programme of preventive measures based on the temporal patterns of the risk factors on the hospital fall occurrence.Methods
A mixed-method research design. The following three phases will be carried out: 1) Longitudinal prospective study in two parts: (a) audits and seminars of healthcare professionals focused on an effective and efficient hospital falls register. Multi-Component and Single Cosinor analyses will be performed to obtain the temporal patterns of hospital falls and their related variables and (b) implementation of a based-temporal patterns, multidimensional prevention programme. 2) Retrospective study of falls registered in institutional databases. 3) Qualitative study based on focus groups (physicians, nurses and nursing assistants). The study protocol was approved in 2018.Discussion
With regard to the safety of patients, hospital falls are serious events. Recent studies have demonstrated that the time of falls is a key factor to be considered in prevention. It has been shown that the time of day, the day of the week and the month of the year impact on the occurrence of falls. It is imperative to study temporal patterns of hospital falls to effectively and comprehensively define the aetiology of falls and, therefore, design preventive strategies. A reduction of the number of in-hospital falls and related injuries is expected, as well as an improvement in the quality of life of patients. Considering temporal patterns and levels of mood and sleep of healthcare professionals will achieve an improvement in patient safety.Trial registration
Retrospectively registered in ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT04367298.
SUBMITTER: Lopez-Soto PJ
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8183051 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:Purpose:The overall purpose of this study was to explore participants' and physiotherapists' experiences regarding the acceptability, implementation, and practicality of a novel group-based multifactorial falls prevention activity programme for community-dwelling older people after stroke. Specifically, the purpose was to explore if and how participating could impact on the participants' health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in terms of their daily lived experience regarding physical, mental, emotional and social well-being. A secondary purpose was to explore whether participating in the programme could positively influence participants' balance, strength, falls efficacy, mobility and motor impairment of the trunk. Materials and Methods:This was an exploratory mixed-method Phase I feasibility study. A convenience sample of five older community-dwelling people after stroke participated in a novel eight-week multifactorial activity programme which included falls education, a mix of individually tailored and group-based strength and balance exercises, exploring limits of stability and safe landing techniques and a social element. Qualitative data from post-intervention interview transcripts with the participants and the physiotherapists who delivered the programme were thematically analysed using both deductive and inductive approaches to explore the participants' and therapists' experiences with the programme. Quantitative outcomes included balance, strength, falls efficacy, mobility and motor impairment of the trunk. Results:The programme was deemed feasible in terms of acceptability, implementation and practicality by the participants as well as the physiotherapists delivering the programme. The overarching theme regarding HRQoL identified that participating in the programme was perceived to empower the participants living with stroke and positively influenced their daily physical, mental, emotional and social well-being. Participant outcomes showed a change in the direction of improvements in balance, strength, mobility, motor impairment of the trunk and reduced concerns about falling. Subjectively, participants only reported perceived improvements in balance and strength. Conclusion:Running a novel multifactorial falls prevention activity programme for older community-dwelling people after stroke was feasible. Participating in the programme helped participants to perceive improved balance, strength and empower them to make meaningful changes, improving their daily lived experiences. A future fully powered study could build on these results to investigate physical improvements, prevention of falls and improvements to domains of HRQoOL.
| S-EPMC7360420 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundPatient falls are the most common adverse events reported in hospitals. Although it is well understood that the physical hospital environment contributes to nearly 40% of severe or fatal hospital falls, there are significant gaps in the knowledge about the relationship between inpatient unit design and fall rates. The few studies that have examined unit design have been conducted in a single hospital (non-Veterans Health Administration [VHA]) or a small number of inpatient units, limiting generalizability. The goal of this study is to identify unit design factors contributing to inpatient falls in the VHA.ObjectiveThe first aim of the study is to investigate frontline and management perceptions of and experiences with veteran falls as they pertain to inpatient environmental factors. An iterative rapid assessment process will be used to analyze the data. Interview findings will directly inform the development of an environmental assessment survey to be conducted as part of aim 2 and to contribute to interpretation of aim 2. The second aim of this study is to quantify unit design factors and compare spatial and environmental factors of units with higher- versus lower-than-expected fall rates.MethodsWe will first conduct walk-through interviews with facility personnel in 10 medical/surgical units at 3 VHA medical centers to identify environmental fall risk factors. Data will be used to finalize an environmental assessment survey for nurse managers and facilities managers. We will then use fall data from the VA Inpatient Evaluation Center and patient data from additional sources to identify 50 medical/surgical nursing units with higher- and lower-than-expected fall rates. We will measure spatial factors by analyzing computer-aided design files of unit floorplans and environmental factors from the environmental assessment survey. Statistical tests will be performed to identify design factors that distinguish high and low outliers.ResultsThe VA Health Services Research and Development Service approved funding for the study. The research protocol was approved by institutional review boards and VA research committees at both sites. Data collection started in February 2018. Results of the data analysis are expected by February 2022. Data collection and analysis was completed for aim 1 with a manuscript of results in progress. For aim 2, the medical/surgical units were categorized into higher- and lower-than-expected fall categories, the environmental assessment surveys were distributed to facility managers and nurse managers. Data to measure spatial characteristics are being compiled.ConclusionsTo our knowledge, this study is the first to objectively identify spatial risks for falls in hospitals within in a large multihospital system. Findings can contribute to evidence-based design guidelines for hospitals such as those of the Facility Guidelines Institute and the Department of Veterans Affairs. The metrics for characterizing spatial features are quantitative indices that could be incorporated in larger scale contextual studies examining contributors to falls, which to date often exclude physical environmental factors at the unit level. Space syntax measures could be used as physical environmental factors in future research examining a range of contextual factors-social, personal, organizational, and environmental-that contribute to patient falls.International registered report identifier (irrid)DERR1-10.2196/24974.
| S-EPMC8317036 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThere is growing acknowledgement of the need for a phased approach to scaling up health interventions, beginning with an assessment of 'scalability', that is, the capacity of an individual intervention to be scaled up. This study aims to assess the scalability of a multi-component integrated falls prevention service for community-dwelling older people and to examine the applicability of the Intervention Scalability Assessment Tool (ISAT). The ISAT consists of 10 domains for consideration when determining the scalability of an intervention, and each domain comprises a series of questions aimed at examining readiness for scale-up.MethodsMultiple methods were used sequentially as recommended by the ISAT: a review of policy documents, results from a service evaluation and falls-related literature; one-to-one interviews (n = 11) with key stakeholders involved in management and oversight of the service; and a follow-up online questionnaire (n = 10) with stakeholders to rate scalability and provide further feedback on reasons for their scores.ResultsThree of the ISAT domains were rated highly by the participants. Analysis of the qualitative feedback and documents indicated that the issue of falls prevention among older people was of sufficient priority to warrant scale-up of the service and that the service aligned with national health policy priorities. Some participants also noted that benefits of the service could potentially outweigh costs through reduced hospital admissions and serious injuries such as hip fracture. The remaining domains received a moderate score from participants, however, indicating considerable barriers to scale-up. In the qualitative feedback, barriers identified included the perceived need for more healthcare staff to deliver components of the service, for additional infrastructure such as adequate room space, and for an integrated electronic patient management system linking primary and secondary care and to prevent duplication of services.ConclusionsPlans to scale up the service are currently under review given the practical barriers that need to be addressed. The ISAT provides a systematic and structured framework for examining the scalability of this multi-component falls prevention intervention, although the iterative nature of the process and detailed and technical nature of its questions require considerable time and knowledge of the service to complete.
| S-EPMC8721469 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundFalls are a major threat to older people's health and wellbeing. Approximately half of falls occur in outdoor environments but little is known about the circumstances in which they occur. We conducted a qualitative study to explore older people's experiences of outdoor falls to develop understanding of how they may be prevented.MethodsWe conducted nine focus groups across the UK (England, Wales, and Scotland). Our sample was from urban and rural settings and different environmental landscapes. Participants were aged 65+ and had at least one outdoor fall in the past year. We analysed the data using framework and content analyses.ResultsForty-four adults aged 65 - 92 took part and reported their experience of 88 outdoor falls. Outdoor falls occurred in a variety of contexts, though reports suggested the following scenarios may have been more frequent: when crossing a road, in a familiar area, when bystanders were around, and with an unreported or unknown attribution. Most frequently, falls resulted in either minor or moderate injury, feeling embarrassed at the time of the fall, and anxiety about falling again. Ten falls resulted in fracture, but no strong pattern emerged in regard to the contexts of these falls. Anxiety about falling again appeared more prevalent among those that fell in urban settings and who made more visits into their neighbourhood in a typical week.ConclusionsThis exploratory study has highlighted several aspects of the outdoor environment that may represent risk factors for outdoor falls and associated fear of falling. Health professionals are recommended to consider outdoor environments as well as the home setting when working to prevent falls and increase mobility among older people.
| S-EPMC3835551 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Backgroundmultifactorial falls prevention programmes for older people have been proved to reduce falls. However, evidence of their cost-effectiveness is mixed.Designeconomic evaluation alongside pragmatic randomised controlled trial.Interventionrandomised trial of 364 people aged ≥70, living in the community, recruited via GP and identified as high risk of falling. Both arms received a falls prevention information leaflet. The intervention arm were also offered a (day hospital) multidisciplinary falls prevention programme, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, nurse, medical review and referral to other specialists.Measurementsself-reported falls, as collected in 12 monthly diaries. Levels of health resource use associated with the falls prevention programme, screening (both attributed to intervention arm only) and other health-care contacts were monitored. Mean NHS costs and falls per person per year were estimated for both arms, along with the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) and cost effectiveness acceptability curve.Resultsin the base-case analysis, the mean falls programme cost was £349 per person. This, coupled with higher screening and other health-care costs, resulted in a mean incremental cost of £578 for the intervention arm. The mean falls rate was lower in the intervention arm (2.07 per person/year), compared with the control arm (2.24). The estimated ICER was £3,320 per fall averted.Conclusionsthe estimated ICER was £3,320 per fall averted. Future research should focus on adherence to the intervention and an assessment of impact on quality of life.
| S-EPMC2956532 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundActive ageing is described as the process of optimizing health, empowerment, and security to enhance the quality of life in the rapidly growing population of older adults. Meanwhile, multimorbidity and neurological disorders, such as Parkinson's disease (PD), lead to global public health and resource limitations. We introduce a novel user-centered paradigm of ageing based on wearable-driven artificial intelligence (AI) that may harness the autonomy and independence that accompany functional limitation or disability, and possibly elevate life expectancy in older adults and people with PD.MethodsActiveAgeing is a 4-year, multicentre, mixed method, cyclic study that combines digital phenotyping via commercial devices (Empatica E4, Fitbit Sense, and Oura Ring) with traditional evaluation (clinical assessment scales, in-depth interviews, and clinical consultations) and includes four types of participants: (1) people with PD and (2) their informal caregiver; (3) healthy older adults from the Helgetun living environment in Norway, and (4) people on the Helgetun waiting list. For the first study, each group will be represented by N = 15 participants to test the data acquisition and to determine the sample size for the second study. To suggest lifestyle changes, modules for human expert-based advice, machine-generated advice, and self-generated advice from accessible data visualization will be designed. Quantitative analysis of physiological data will rely on digital signal processing (DSP) and AI techniques. The clinical assessment scales are the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI), Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES), and the REM Sleep Behaviour Disorder Screening Questionnaire (RBDSQ). A qualitative inquiry will be carried out with individual and focus group interviews and analysed using a hermeneutic approach including narrative and thematic analysis techniques.DiscussionWe hypothesise that digital phenotyping is feasible to explore the ageing process from clinical and lifestyle perspectives including older adults and people with PD. Data is used for clinical decision-making by symptom tracking, predicting symptom evolution, and discovering new outcome measures for clinical trials.
| S-EPMC9565381 | biostudies-literature
Project description:INTRODUCTION:Older adults recently discharged from hospital have greater incidence of adverse events, functional decline, falls and subsequent readmission. Providing education to hospitalised patients on how to prevent falls at home could reduce postdischarge falls. There has been limited research investigating how older adults respond to tailored falls prevention education provided at hospital discharge. The aim of this study is to evaluate how providing tailored falls prevention education to older patients at the point of, and immediately after hospital discharge in addition to usual care, affects engagement in falls prevention strategies in the 6-months postdischarge period, including their capability and motivation to engage in falls prevention strategies. METHODS AND ANALYSES:This prospective observational cohort study is a process evaluation of a randomised controlled trial, using an embedded mixed-method design. Participants (n=390) who have been enrolled in the trial are over the age of 60 years, scoring greater than 7/10 on the Abbreviated Mental Test Score. Participants are being discharged from hospital rehabilitation wards in Perth, Western Australia, and followed up for 6?months postdischarge. Primary outcome measures for the process evaluation are engagement in falls prevention strategies, including exercise, home modifications and receiving assistance with activities of daily living. Secondary outcomes will measure capability, motivation and opportunity to engage in falls prevention strategies, based on the constructs of the Capability Opportunity Motivation Behaviour system. Quantitative data are collected at baseline, then at 6?months postdischarge using structured phone interviews. Qualitative data are collected from a purposive sample of the cohort, using semistructured in-depth phone interviews. Quantitative data will be analysed using regression modelling and qualitative data will be analysed using interpretive phenomenological analysis. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION:Results will be presented in peer-reviewed journals and at conferences worldwide. This study is approved by hospital and university Human Research Ethics Committees.
| S-EPMC5914781 | biostudies-other
Project description:BACKGROUND:The Dutch Ministry of Health has formulated ambitious goals concerning the use of telehealth, leading to subsequent changes compared with the current health care situation, in which 93% of care is delivered face-to-face. Since most care is delivered to older people, the prospect of telehealth raises the question of whether this population is ready for this new way of receiving care. To study this, we created a theoretical framework consisting of 6 factors associated with older people's intention to use technology. OBJECTIVE:The objective of this study was to understand community-dwelling older people's readiness for receiving telehealth by studying their intention to use videoconferencing and capacities for using digital technology in daily life as indicators. METHODS:A mixed-method triangulation design was used. First, a cross-sectional survey study was performed to investigate older people's intention to use videoconferencing, by testing our theoretical framework with a multilevel path analysis (phase 1). Second, for deeper understanding of older people's actual use of digital technology, qualitative observations of older people executing technological tasks (eg, on a computer, cell phone) were conducted at their homes (phase 2). RESULTS:In phase 1, a total of 256 people aged 65 years or older participated in the survey study (50.0% male; median age, 70 years; Q1-Q3: 67-76). Using a significance level of .05, we found seven significant associations regarding older people's perception of videoconferencing. Older people's (1) intention to use videoconferencing was predicted by their performance expectancy (odds ratio [OR] 1.26, 95% CI 1.13-1.39), effort expectancy (OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.07-1.39), and perceived privacy and security (OR 1.30, 95% CI 1.17-1.43); (2) their performance expectancy was predicted by their effort expectancy (OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.24-1.52); and (3) their effort expectancy was predicted by their self-efficacy (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.42-1.68). In phase 2, a total of 6 men and 9 women aged between 65 and 87 years participated in the qualitative observation study. Of the primary themes, 5 themes were identified that could provide greater understanding of older people's capacities and incapacities in using digital technology: (1) "self-efficacy and digital literacy," (2) "obstacles to using technology," (3) "prior experience and frequency of use," (4) "sources of support and facilitating conditions," and (5) "performance expectancy." These 5 themes recurred in all 15 observations. CONCLUSIONS:Performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and perceived privacy and security are direct predictors of older people's intention to use videoconferencing. Self-efficacy appeared to play a role in both older people's intention to use, as well as their actual use of technology. The path analysis revealed that self-efficacy was significantly associated with older people's effort expectancy. Furthermore, self-efficacy and digital literacy appeared to play a major role in older people's capacities to make use of digital technology.
| S-EPMC5910535 | biostudies-other
Project description:Falls and fall-related injuries in older adults are associated with great burdens, both for the individuals, the health care system and the society. Previous research has shown evidence for the efficiency of exercise as falls prevention. An understudied group are older adults receiving home help services, and the effect of a falls prevention programme on health-related quality of life is unclear. The primary aim of this randomised controlled trial is to examine the effect of a falls prevention programme on quality of life, physical function and falls efficacy in older adults receiving home help services. A secondary aim is to explore the mediating factors between falls prevention and health-related quality of life.The study is a single-blinded randomised controlled trial. Participants are older adults, aged 67 or older, receiving home help services, who are able to walk with or without walking aids, who have experienced at least one fall during the last 12 months and who have a Mini Mental State Examination of 23 or above. The intervention group receives a programme, based on the Otago Exercise Programme, lasting 12 weeks including home visits and motivational telephone calls. The control group receives usual care. The primary outcome is health-related quality of life (SF-36). Secondary outcomes are leg strength, balance, walking speed, walking habits, activities of daily living, nutritional status and falls efficacy. All measurements are performed at baseline, following intervention at 3 months and at 6 months' follow-up. Sample size, based on the primary outcome, is set to 150 participants randomised into the two arms, including an estimated 15-20% drop out. Participants are recruited from six municipalities in Norway.This trial will generate new knowledge on the effects of an exercise falls prevention programme among older fallers receiving home help services. This knowledge will be useful for clinicians, for health managers in the primary health care service and for policy makers.ClinicalTrials.gov . NCT02374307 . First registration, 16/02/2015.
| S-EPMC5556992 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundHome exercise can prevent falls in the general older community but its impact in people recently discharged from hospital is not known. The study aimed to investigate the effects of a home-based exercise program on falls and mobility among people recently discharged from hospital.Methods and findingsThis randomised controlled trial (ACTRN12607000563460) was conducted among 340 older people. Intervention group participants (n?=?171) were asked to exercise at home for 15-20 minutes up to 6 times weekly for 12 months. The control group (n?=?169) received usual care. Primary outcomes were rate of falls (assessed over 12 months using monthly calendars), performance-based mobility (Lower Extremity Summary Performance Score, range 0-3, at baseline and 12 months, assessor unaware of group allocation) and self-reported ease of mobility task performance (range 0-40, assessed with 12 monthly questionaries). Participants had an average age of 81.2 years (SD 8.0) and 70% had fallen in the past year. Complete primary outcome data were obtained for at least 92% of randomised participants. Participants in the intervention group reported more falls than the control group (177 falls versus 123 falls) during the 12-month study period and this difference was statistically significant (incidence rate ratio 1.43, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.93, p?=?0.017). At 12-months, performance-based mobility had improved significantly more in the intervention group than in the control group (between-group difference adjusted for baseline performance 0.13, 95% CI 0.04 to 0.21, p?=?0.004). Self-reported ease in undertaking mobility tasks over the 12-month period was not significantly different between the groups (0.49, 95% CI -0.91 to 1.90, p?=?0.488).ConclusionsAn individualised home exercise prescription significantly improved performance-based mobility but significantly increased the rate of falls in older people recently discharged from hospital.Trial registrationAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12607000563460.
| S-EPMC4152130 | biostudies-literature