4025 Fall Risk Screening and Referrals to Community-Based Programs among Physical Therapy Professionals

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: To describe trends in fall risk screening and referrals to community-based programs among physical therapy professionals.To compare fall risk screening practices to clinical practice guidelines amongTo identify gaps in fall risk screening and referrals to community-based programs among physical therapy professionals.METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: A panel of experts between the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) - Geriatrics, and the National Council on Aging (NCOA) developed a web-based survey to identify practices among physical therapy professionals (PTs) for fall risk screenings and community-based referrals for older adults. The web-based survey was disseminated to PTs via email, e-blasts, and social media. The survey focused on questions related to knowledge of fall risk screening tools, fall risk management for older adults, and knowledge of and referrals to community-based interventions. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: To date, 453 PTs representing 50 states completed the survey. The majority of PTs (50.9%) had over 20 years of experience in various settings. Eighty-three percent regularly screen older adults for fall risk. Approximately 40% conduct community-based screenings. The majority (81.3%) were somewhat to very familiar with the CDC-recommended STEADI (Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths, and Injuries) screening toolkit. Despite familiarity, only 32% responded to the question if they used STEADI for screening. Of those, 83.4% used the tool. The majority (73.4%) of PTs were aware that NCOA recommends evidence-based programs to address health needs of aging adults and 59.6% refer. PTs did not refer due to lack of knowledge that programs existed (21.3%) or lack of knowledge of availability (33.3%). DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Although PTs are have some familiarity with the STEADI for fall risk screening, the tool is not common in practice. PTs are lacking awareness of local evidence-based community programs to address health needs of aging adults. Educational efforts should target these knowledge gaps and provide additional resources to improve referrals.

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OUTCOMES AFTER COMMUNITY-BASED FALL RISK SCREENING AMONG RURAL OLDER ADULTS

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igy023.2118 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2 (suppl_1) ◽

pp. 572-572

Author(s):

N Gell ◽

M Wingood ◽

M Renfro

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Fall Risk ◽

Community Based ◽

Risk Screening ◽

Fall Risk Screening ◽

Rural Older Adults

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Scoping Review of Clinical Practice Guidelines for Fall Risk Screening and Assessment in Older Adults across the Care Continuum

Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement ◽

10.1017/s0714980820000112 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-18

Author(s):

Hazel Williams-Roberts ◽

Catherine Arnold ◽

Daphne Kemp ◽

Alexander Crizzle ◽

Shanthi Johnson

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Clinical Practice ◽

Clinical Practice Guidelines ◽

Practice Guidelines ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Fall Risk ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Risk Screening ◽

Care Continuum ◽

Fall Risk Screening

ABSTRACT Given the rising numbers of older adults in Canada experiencing falls, evidence-based identification of fall risks and plans for prevention across the continuum of care is a significant priority for health care providers. A scoping review was conducted to synthesize published international clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) and recommendations for fall risk screening and assessment in older adults (defined as 65 years of age and older). Of the 22 CPGs, 6 pertained to multiple settings, 9 pertained to community-dwelling older adults only, 2 each pertained to acute care and long-term care settings only, and 3 did not specify setting. Two criteria, prior fall history and gait and balance abnormalities, were applied either independently or sequentially in 19 CPG fall risk screening algorithms. Fall risk assessment components were more varied across CPGs but commonly included: detailed fall history; detailed evaluation of gait, balance, and/or mobility; medication review; vision; and environmental hazards assessment. Despite these similarities, more work is needed to streamline assessment approaches for heterogeneous and complex older adult populations across the care continuum. Support is also needed for sustainable implementation of CPGs in order to improve health outcomes.

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Outcomes of a Physical Therapist-Led, Statewide, Community-Based Fall Risk Screening

Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy ◽

10.1519/jpt.0000000000000228 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 43 (4) ◽

pp. 185-193

Author(s):

Lee Karlsson ◽

Kelsey Doe ◽

Meghan Gerry ◽

Brooke Moore ◽

Mariana Wingood ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fall Risk ◽

Physical Therapist ◽

Community Based ◽

Risk Screening ◽

Fall Risk Screening

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Strengthening the role of caregivers in promoting fall-risk screening for older adults during the annual wellness visit

Perspectives in Public Health ◽

10.1177/1757913913484872 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 133 (5) ◽

pp. 246-247 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Fall Risk ◽

Risk Screening ◽

Fall Risk Screening

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Implementation and Evaluation of a Fall Risk Screening Strategy Among Frail Older Adults for the Primary Care Setting: A Study Protocol

Clinical Interventions in Aging ◽

10.2147/cia.s254864 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol Volume 15 ◽

pp. 1625-1636

Author(s):

WMA Meekes ◽

Chantal Leemrijse ◽

JC Korevaar ◽

JMAE Henquet ◽

M Nieuwenhuis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Primary Care ◽

Study Protocol ◽

Fall Risk ◽

Care Setting ◽

Primary Care Setting ◽

Screening Strategy ◽

Risk Screening ◽

Frail Older Adults ◽

Fall Risk Screening

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A Fall Risk mHealth App for Older Adults: Development and Usability Study (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.11569 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Katherine L Hsieh ◽

Jason T Fanning ◽

Wendy A Rogers ◽

Tyler A Wood ◽

Jacob J Sosnoff

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Fall Risk ◽

Evaluation Process ◽

Mobile App ◽

Ease Of Use ◽

Perceived Usefulness ◽

Perceived Ease Of Use ◽

Risk Screening ◽

Age Related ◽

Fall Risk Screening

BACKGROUND Falls are the leading cause of injury-related death in older adults. Due to various constraints, objective fall risk screening is seldom performed in clinical settings. Smartphones offer a high potential to provide fall risk screening for older adults in home settings. However, there is limited understanding of whether smartphone technology for falls screening is usable by older adults who present age-related changes in perceptual, cognitive, and motor capabilities. OBJECTIVE The aims of this study were to develop a fall risk mobile health (mHealth) app and to determine the usability of the fall risk app in healthy, older adults. METHODS A fall risk app was developed that consists of a health history questionnaire and 5 progressively challenging mobility tasks to measure individual fall risk. An iterative design-evaluation process of semistructured interviews was performed to determine the usability of the app on a smartphone and tablet. Participants also completed a Systematic Usability Scale (SUS). In the first round of interviews, 6 older adults participated, and in the second round, 5 older adults participated. Interviews were videotaped and transcribed, and the data were coded to create themes. Average SUS scores were calculated for the smartphone and tablet. RESULTS There were 2 themes identified from the first round of interviews, related to perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. While instructions for the balance tasks were difficult to understand, participants found it beneficial to learn about their risk for falls, found the app easy to follow, and reported confidence in using the app on their own. Modifications were made to the app, and following the second round of interviews, participants reported high ease of use and usefulness in learning about their risk of falling. Few differences were reported between using a smartphone or tablet. Average SUS scores ranged from 79 to 84. CONCLUSIONS Our fall risk app was found to be highly usable by older adults as reported from interviews and high scores on the SUS. When designing a mHealth app for older adults, developers should include clear and simple instructions and preventative strategies to improve health. Furthermore, if the design accommodates for age-related sensory changes, smartphones can be as effective as tablets. A mobile app to assess fall risk has the potential to be used in home settings by older adults.

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