scholarly journals STOPPFall (Screening Tool of Older Persons Prescriptions in older adults with high fall risk): a Delphi study by the EuGMS Task and Finish Group on Fall-Risk-Increasing Drugs

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lotta J Seppala ◽  
Mirko Petrovic ◽  
Jesper Ryg ◽  
Gulistan Bahat ◽  
Eva Topinkova ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Healthcare professionals are often reluctant to deprescribe fall-risk-increasing drugs (FRIDs). Lack of knowledge and skills form a significant barrier and furthermore, there is no consensus on which medications are considered as FRIDs despite several systematic reviews. To support clinicians in the management of FRIDs and to facilitate the deprescribing process, STOPPFall (Screening Tool of Older Persons Prescriptions in older adults with high fall risk) and a deprescribing tool were developed by a European expert group. Methods STOPPFall was created by two facilitators based on evidence from recent meta-analyses and national fall prevention guidelines in Europe. Twenty-four panellists chose their level of agreement on a Likert scale with the items in the STOPPFall in three Delphi panel rounds. A threshold of 70% was selected for consensus a priori. The panellists were asked whether some agents are more fall-risk-increasing than others within the same pharmacological class. In an additional questionnaire, panellists were asked in which cases deprescribing of FRIDs should be considered and how it should be performed. Results The panellists agreed on 14 medication classes to be included in the STOPPFall. They were mostly psychotropic medications. The panellists indicated 18 differences between pharmacological subclasses with regard to fall-risk-increasing properties. Practical deprescribing guidance was developed for STOPPFall medication classes. Conclusion STOPPFall was created using an expert Delphi consensus process and combined with a practical deprescribing tool designed to optimise medication review. The effectiveness of these tools in falls prevention should be further evaluated in intervention studies.

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Giagio ◽  
Andrea Turolla ◽  
Tiziano Innocenti ◽  
Stefano Salvioli ◽  
Giulia Gava ◽  
...  

Background/aim: Several epidemiological studies have found a high prevalence of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction (PFD) among female athletes. However, according to several authors, these data could even be underestimated, both in research and clinical practice. Screening for potential PFD is often delayed and risk factors are not often evaluated. As a consequence, withdrawal from sport, negative influence on performance, worsening symptoms and unrecognized diagnosis may occur. The aim of our research is to develop a screening tool for pelvic floor dysfunction in female athletes useful for clinicians (musculoskeletal/sport physiotherapists, sports medicine physicians, team physicians) to guide referral to a PFD expert (e.g. pelvic floor/women's health physiotherapist, gynecologist, uro-gynecologist, urologist). Methods: A 2-round modified Delphi study will be conducted to ascertain expert opinion on which combination of variables and risk factors should be included in the screening tool. Conclusion: The implementation of the present screening tool into clinical practice may facilitate the referral to a PFD expert for further assessment of the pelvic floor and therefore, to identify potential dysfunction and, eventually, the related treatment pathway.


2021 ◽  
pp. 105566562110350
Author(s):  
Catherine de Blacam ◽  
Adriane L. Baylis ◽  
Richard E. Kirschner ◽  
Susan Smith ◽  
Debbie Sell ◽  
...  

Objective To date, the recording of outcomes of interventions for velopharyngeal dysfunction (VPD) has not been standardized. This makes a comparison of results between studies challenging. The aim of this study was to develop a core outcome set (COS) for reporting outcomes in studies examining the management of VPD. Design A two-round Delphi consensus process was used to develop the COS. Patients, Participants The expert Delphi panel comprised patients and caregivers of patients with VPD, surgeons and speech and language therapists specializing in cleft palate, and researchers with expertise in VPD. Interventions A long list of outcomes was derived from the published literature. In each round of a Delphi survey, participants were asked to score outcomes using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations scale of 1 to 9, with 1 to 3 labeled “not important,” 4 to 6 labeled “important but not critical,” and 7 to 9 labeled “critical.” Main outcome measure Consensus criteria were specified a priori. Outcomes with a rating of 75% or more of the panel rating 7 to 9 and 25% or fewer rating 1 to 3 were included in the COS. Results A total of 31 core outcomes were identified from the Delphi process. This list was condensed to combine topic areas to produce a final COS of 10 outcomes, including both processes of care and patient-reported outcomes that should be considered for reporting in future studies of VPD. Conclusions Implementation of the COS-VPD will facilitate consistency of outcomes data collection and comparison of results across studies.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S329-S329
Author(s):  
Erin Harrington ◽  
Ha Do ◽  
Alex J Bishop ◽  
Celinda Reese-Melancon ◽  
and Weihua Sheng

Abstract Socially assistive robotic (SAR) technologies represent a viable tool for monitoring the safety and health of older adults. However, it is unclear whether SARs can comprehensively screen geriatric well-being as effectively as trained human clinicians. The purpose of this study was to compare SAR versus human assessment of geriatric well-being. Participants included 30 older adults (Mage = 73.40, SD = 7.88) who completed a robot-administered well-being assessment session during which human-administered evaluation was simultaneously performed. Standardized clinical screening assessment tools common in geriatric care were administered (e.g., Short Blessed Test (SBT), UCLA Loneliness Scale, Geriatric Depression Scale, PHQ-4, Iowa Fatigue Scale, Fall Risk). Multiple dependent sample t-tests were used to explore variability in assessment scores between SAR and human evaluation. Assessment scores significantly differed on several measures, including the SBT (t(29) = -9.33, p < .001), UCLA Loneliness scale (t(19) = 2.37, p < . 05), and fall risk assessment (t(29) = 3.03, p < .01). Specifically, the SAR indicated that older adults were significantly more cognitively impaired, less lonely, and more likely to fall compared to the human administrator. Other observed differences and hypothesized explanations will be discussed in greater detail. The current study indicates that there is a divergence in geriatric assessment outcomes based on human versus SAR administration. Findings have implications relative to further developing SAR technology to align with human-based evaluations to enhance cognitive well-being, social connectedness, and falls prevention.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S854-S854
Author(s):  
Ladda Thiamwong ◽  
Norma E Conner

Abstract Background: Falls increase as people age and decrease the quality of life. Even though fall interventions have received great attention, fall incidence rates have still arisen. In order for older adults to reap the benefits of evidence-based fall interventions, a challenge of implementation in the real world and right context must be met. Understanding experiences, facilitators, and barriers of fall prevention among four major ethnic groups in the Unites States could be extremely valuable. Objective: The aim of this study was to describe experiences and highlight facilitators and barriers on fall and fear of falling interventions among ethnically diverse community-dwelling older adults. Methods: Four ethnically specified (African American, Asian, Hispanic and Non-Hispanic White) focus groups were conducted. A total of 28 older adults and four family caregivers were interviewed. Interviews covered experiences on falls and fear of falling, attitudes, factors, consequences, risk assessment, and interventions. Data were organized and analyzed with the NViVo software. Results: Falls related experiences and behaviors were multifaceted and varied. Three themes related to falls experiences and behaviors were identified, 1) falls prevention versus fear of falling amplification; 2) role identity, culture and family considerations; and 3) take care of you, take care of me. Facilitators of fall prevention were integration of individual learning within a group meeting, providing appropriate assistive devices and promoting environmental safety. Barriers were inconsistent fall risk assessments, low fall risk awareness and acknowledgment, and balance and visual impairment.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Devinder Kaur Ajit Singh ◽  
Jing Wen Goh ◽  
Muhammad Iqbal Shaharudin ◽  
Suzana Shahar

BACKGROUND Recent falls prevention guidelines recommend early routine falls risk assessment among older persons. OBJECTIVE The purpose of current study was to develop a Falls Screening Mobile Application (FallSA©), determine its acceptance, concurrent validity, test-retest reliability, discriminative ability and predictive validity as a self-screening tool to identify falls risk among Malaysian older persons. METHODS FallSA© acceptance was tested among 15 participants (mean age: 65.93±7.42 years); its validity and reliability among 91 participants (mean age: 67.34±5.97); discriminative ability and predictive validity among 610 participants (mean age: 71.78±4.70). Acceptance of FallSA© was assessed using a questionnaire and it was validated against a comprehensive falls risk assessment tool, Physiological Profile Assessments (PPA). Participants used FallSA© to test their falls risk repeatedly twice between an hour. Its discriminative ability and predictive validity were determined by comparing participants fall risk scores between fallers and non-fallers and prospectively through a 6 months follow-up respectively RESULTS The findings of our study showed that FallSA© had a high acceptance level with 80% older persons agreeing on its suitability as a falls self-screening tool. Concurrent validity test demonstrated a significant moderate correlation (rs= 0.518, P<0.001) and agreement (K= 0.516, P<0.001) with acceptable sensitivity (80.4%) and specificity (71.1%). FallSA© also had good reliability (ICC: 0.948, CI: 0.921-0.966) and an internal consistency (α= 0.948, P<0.001). FallSA© score demonstrated a moderate to strong discriminative ability in classifying fallers and non-fallers. FallSA© had a predictive validity of falls with positive likelihood ratio of 2.27, pooled sensitivity of 82% and specificity of 64%, and AUC of 0.802. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that FallSA© is a valid and reliable fall risk self-screening tool. Further studies are required to empower and engage older persons or care givers in the use of FallSA© to self-screen for falls and thereafter to seek early prevention intervention. CLINICALTRIAL NA


2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (6) ◽  
pp. 1793-1806
Author(s):  
Ingrid Singer ◽  
Inge S. Klatte ◽  
Marlies Welbie ◽  
Ingrid C. Cnossen ◽  
Ellen Gerrits

Purpose Our aim was to develop consensus on the definition and operationalization of communicative participation (CP) in 2- to 8-year-old children with language disorders (LDs). A clear definition and operationalization can facilitate the discussion about children's communication problems in daily life between parents and professionals. Method In an online Delphi study, anonymized thoughts and opinions were collected on the definition and operationalization of CP in young children with LD. The 47 Delphi panel members were Dutch parents, young adults with LDs, teachers and assistants, speech-language pathologists, clinical linguists, and clinical researchers. Thematic content analysis was used to develop a concept definition and items operationalizing CP. The Delphi panel rated the suitability of concept definitions using a 7-point Likert scale. Concept definitions were revised with feedback from the Delphi panel until consensus was achieved. The Delphi panel rated items on how well they operationalize CP, using the same Likert scale. Results The majority (79%) of the Delphi panel indicated that the essence of CP was captured by the definition: “CP is understanding and being understood in a social context, by applying verbal and non-verbal communication skills.” In addition, 33 behavioral items were developed. Conclusion This study resulted in strong consensus on the definition of CP between Dutch parents and professionals. Items were developed that can inform speech-language pathologists on the type of questions to ask a child's parents or teacher when discussing CP. Further research is needed on how the items can best be used in clinical practice.


2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (Supplement_4) ◽  
pp. iv18-iv27
Author(s):  
Pey June Tan ◽  
Silvia Sim ◽  
Noor Hafizah Ismail ◽  
Jagadish Mallya ◽  
Angelique Chan ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction Older adults have been found to under- or overestimate their fall risk. However, no studies have investigated implications on help-seeking behaviours in falls prevention. This study examines how disparities between actual and perceived fall risk affects participation in 5 fall prevention interventions among community-dwelling older adults in Singapore. Methods This was a cross-sectional survey of a nationally representative sample of community-dwelling adults aged ≥60 years in Singapore identified by stratified random sampling. Having previous falls in the past 12 months (faller/non-faller) indicated actual fall risk. Level of fear-of-falling (cut-off ≥23 on 16-item Falls Efficacy Scale International) was used as perceived fall risk (high/low). Four profiles based on combinations of actual and perceived risk were associated with participation in 5 fall prevention interventions in a multiple logistic regression. The model was adjusted for age, gender, ≥2 comorbidities and knowledge that the intervention is to prevent falls. Results Final analysis included 549 older adults (mean age 70.6±6.9 years, 61% females). Majority (46%) were in the Vigorous group (no falls, low fear), 35% Anxious (no falls, high fear), 11% Frail Aware (falls, high fear) and 8% Stoics (falls, low fear). Only those in Anxious and Frail Aware group were significantly more likely to have talked to a healthcare professional on strategies to avoid falls [OR 1.8 (1.1-3.1) and 3.2 (1.6-6.4) respectively] and made home modifications [OR 1.9 (1.3-2.8) and 2.0 (1.1-3.6)] after adjustments. No association was found for participation in exercise, medication review and falls education. Discussion Individual profiles with high fear-of-falling component have different help-seeking behaviours compared to those with low fear regardless of history of falls. However, individuals in Frail Aware group have higher likelihood to uptake the interventions compared to Anxious group. Future research should examine other drivers of behaviour that will influence participation in other interventions.


2013 ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
L. DEMOUGEOT ◽  
G. ABELLAN VAN KAN ◽  
B. VELLAS ◽  
P. DE SOUTO BARRETO

Frailty is commonly regarded as a pre-disability condition of older persons. Its importance in theelderly should be more carefully taken into account in the clinical practice. To implement interventions aimed atpreventing disability in frail older adults, screening tools for the early detection of this syndrome are needed. Inthis context, the Gérontopôle Frailty Screening Tool (GFST) has been recently proposed as an instrument forassisting general practitioners in the detection of non-disabled frail older adults. In the present paper, we brieflydiscuss about the difficulties of translating knowledge from the frailty research field to the clinical practice. Suchdifficulties are illustrated by presenting the evolution of the GFST over time. The use of frailty screening tools,such as the GFST, in the clinical practice is necessary to support the identification of older persons at risk ofadverse events and promote the implementation of individualized strategies against disability.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Devinder Kaur Ajit Singh ◽  
Jing Wen Goh ◽  
Muhammad Iqbal Shaharudin ◽  
Suzana Shahar

BACKGROUND Recent falls prevention guidelines recommend early routine fall risk assessment among older persons. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to develop a Falls Screening Mobile App (FallSA), determine its acceptance, concurrent validity, test-retest reliability, discriminative ability, and predictive validity as a self-screening tool to identify fall risk among Malaysian older persons. METHODS FallSA acceptance was tested among 15 participants (mean age 65.93 [SD 7.42] years); its validity and reliability among 91 participants (mean age 67.34 [SD 5.97] years); discriminative ability and predictive validity among 610 participants (mean age 71.78 [SD 4.70] years). Acceptance of FallSA was assessed using a questionnaire, and it was validated against a comprehensive fall risk assessment tool, the Physiological Profile Assessment (PPA). Participants used FallSA to test their fall risk repeatedly twice within an hour. Its discriminative ability and predictive validity were determined by comparing participant fall risk scores between fallers and nonfallers and prospectively through a 6-month follow-up, respectively. RESULTS The findings of our study showed that FallSA had a high acceptance level with 80% (12/15) of older persons agreeing on its suitability as a falls self-screening tool. Concurrent validity test demonstrated a significant moderate correlation (r=.518, P<.001) and agreement (k=.516, P<.001) with acceptable sensitivity (80.4%) and specificity (71.1%). FallSA also had good reliability (intraclass correlation .948; 95% CI .921-.966) and an internal consistency (α=.948, P<.001). FallSA score demonstrated a moderate to strong discriminative ability in classifying fallers and nonfallers. FallSA had a predictive validity of falls with positive likelihood ratio of 2.27, pooled sensitivity of 82% and specificity of 64%, and area under the curve of 0.802. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that FallSA is a valid and reliable fall risk self-screening tool. Further studies are required to empower and engage older persons or care givers in the use of FallSA to self-screen for falls and thereafter to seek early prevention intervention.


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