Identifying older people at high risk of future falls: development and validation of a screening tool for use in emergency departments

Abstract

A simple, two-item screening tool demonstrated good external validity and accurately discriminated between fallers and non-fallers. This tool could identify high risk individuals who may benefit from onward referral or intervention after ED discharge.

Good Lateral Harmonic Stability Combined with Adequate Gait Speed Is Required for Low Fall Risk in Older People

“…Therefore, the prospective falls might be confounded by the interventions they received. The findings are likely to still have clinical implications, as it has been consistently found that a history of falls is a significant risk factor for future falls [26,27]. …”

Failure of falls risk screening tools to predict outcome: a prospective cohort study

“…It was previously used by our CCT and considers falls history, function and balance. However, the tool was developed by assessing study participants in their own home several weeks after any fall-related ED presentation and, thus, the physical function measure included in this screen may not accurately reflect physical ability at the time of ED attendance 7. Another limitation is that the FROP Com Screen has not been externally validated or had feasibility testing in the ED setting 7.…”

“…However, the tool was developed by assessing study participants in their own home several weeks after any fall-related ED presentation and, thus, the physical function measure included in this screen may not accurately reflect physical ability at the time of ED attendance 7. Another limitation is that the FROP Com Screen has not been externally validated or had feasibility testing in the ED setting 7. The Two-Item Screening Tool is a simple, two-question screening tool, that focuses on patient falls in the past year and number of medications 7.…”

“…Another limitation is that the FROP Com Screen has not been externally validated or had feasibility testing in the ED setting 7. The Two-Item Screening Tool is a simple, two-question screening tool, that focuses on patient falls in the past year and number of medications 7. It was developed in a similar population to our ED, reported accuracy identifying fallers and was externally validated 7.…”

“…The Two-Item Screening Tool is a simple, two-question screening tool, that focuses on patient falls in the past year and number of medications 7. It was developed in a similar population to our ED, reported accuracy identifying fallers and was externally validated 7. In an ED study, the Two-Item Screening Tool was reported to have similar predictive ability to the FROP Com Screen, but no study has compared the tools’ efficacies within the same ED population 7.…”