Effective communication and teamwork have been identified in the literature as key enablers of patient safety. The SBAR (Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation) process has proven to be an effective communication tool in acute care settings to structure high-urgency communications, particularly between physicians and nurses; however, little is known of its effectiveness in other settings. This study evaluated the effectiveness of an adapted SBAR tool for both urgent and non-urgent situations within a rehabilitation setting. In phase 1 of this study, clinical staff, patient and family input was gathered in a focus-group format to help guide, validate and refine adaptations to the SBAR tool. In phase 2, the adapted SBAR was implemented in one interprofessional team; clinical and support staff participated in educational workshops with experiential learning to enhance their profi

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QUESTIONSDo exercise programmes prevent falls in elderly people? What are the most important components of effective exercise interventions? REVIEW SCOPEIncluded studies evaluated exercise interventions for fall prevention in elderly people. Studies in which the control group received exercise or the intervention group received additional non-exercise interventions for .25% of the time were excluded. Outcome was the pooled incidence rate ratio (IRR) of falls, which allows for multiple falls per person. REVIEW METHODSMedline, CINAHL, EMBASE/Excerpta Medica, PubMed, Physiotherapy Evidence Database, SafetyLit, Prevention of Falls Network Europe, and Cochrane Bone, Joint, and Muscle Trauma Group's trial register (May 2007); and references were searched for published randomised controlled trials (RCTs). 44 RCTs (49 comparisons, n = 9603) met the selection criteria. Mean age was >75 years in 65% of comparisons. 16 trials reported allocation concealment, and 22 used intentionto-treat analysis. Most trials involved community-dwelling elderly people who were at increased risk of falling. Most exercise programmes were done under supervision and tailored to the individual. Duration of follow-up ranged from 0.5 to 30 months (median 12 mo).

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