Can an evidence-based fall prevention program be translated for use in culturally diverse communities?

Older adult falls are a significant public health problem,but one that is amenable to preventive interventions.1,2 Despite the progress made in identifying risk factors,developing efficacious health-related interventions,and promoting evidencebased programs in the community,much work remains before these strategies are broadly available and effectively used to reduce fall-related injuries.3 As Newton and ScottFindlay4 have pointed out,the translation of basic scientific knowledge into clinical studies,and the transformation of clinical studies into improvements in health services and public health practices,remain major obstacles to widespread adoption.

Development of a fall prevention protocol for replication in a virtual environment

Several effective fall prevention exercise programs address the problem of falls. The primary challenge is not to develop effective programs, but to find ways to motivate older people to begin and maintain these programs while delivering these programs to as many older adults as possible. This short-term pilot study collected preliminary data on the design and testing of a balance rehabilitation protocol that could be replicated in a virtual gaming environment like the Wii Fit. The protocol, based on evidence- based practice, focused on strength, endurance, and functional reach. Eight older adults participated in twelve one hour sessions with an occupational therapist and exercise professional. Outcome measures included the Modified Falls Efficacy Scale, Life Space Questionnaire, and postural sway. Results suggest that the protocol was effective in improving postural sway (as measured by a force plate), reducing fear of falling, and increasing perceived life space.

Fall Prevention Education Reduces the Falling Rate on the Osteoporosis Patients Treated with Zoledronic Acid

Objective: Falls are one of the most common direct causes of fractures which are major causes of morbidity and mortality in osteoporosis patient. There are many factors related to falls, by interfering of fall prevention education on the patients with osteoporosis, our study is to investigate whether fall prevention education can reduce the falling rate on the osteoporosis patients treated with zoledronic acid. Methods: A total of 178 eligible female patients who first visited our osteoporosis department during January 2016 to June 2017 were invited to participate in this study, and all participants were randomly divided into an observation group (92 cases) and an intervention group (86 cases). All patients were administrated zoledronic acid once and received a questionnaire survey about factors related to falls at the beginning and a year later. The patients in the observation group only received regular orders of adopting a healthy lifestyle while those in the intervention group received fall prevention assessment and education, and a telephone follow-up and reinforced fall prevention education a month after discharge. A year later, relevant data regarding the falls of each patient of both groups during the year and the data of the questionnaire survey were collected for intergroup comparison. Results: The difference of the improvement of fall risk factors between the two groups is statistically significant (P Conclusion: For an osteoporosis patient treated with zoledronic acid, fall prevention education is an effective method to reduce the risk of falling, which would result in a lower risk of fractures and a better prognosis.

Proposal of Walking to Prevent a Fall of a Planetary Exploration Legged Rover Using Effect of Loose Soil Caused by a Propagation of Vibration

In this study,a walking method that prevents a fall of the planetary exploration-legged rover is proposed.In the proposed walking method,the leg is sunk by giving vibration to the ground.The posture of the rover is changed to prevent a fall of the rover by sinking the leg.First,the relationship between the kind of vibration and the subsidence of the leg is confirmed.In this experimental result,the leg is shown to be easy to sink to the ground by giving vibration.Moreover,the larger the vibratory force is,the easier the leg sinks to the ground.Finally,the legged testbed walks on the loose ground with a slope using the proposed walking method.In this experimental result,the testbed is difficult to fall down when it uses the proposed walking.Moreover,the angle of a slope that the testbed can walk becomes large by using the proposed walking.

Hourly Rounding and Fall Prevention among the Elderly in Long Term Care: A change Process

Long term care facilities have a rising rate of falls and fall related injuries with increasing cost and more hospitalization.Hourly rounding®is an evidenced based intervention that is proactive for nursing staff to be able to identify patient’s needs.This helps with positive fall prevention out­come.This project focused on process improvement efforts for 10 weeks and examining the education and implementation of an evidenced-based hourly rounding program that assisted in reducing the number of falls in the pilot unit.The implementation of the intervention took place in a long-term care facility located in Dallas,Georgia.The hourly rounding tools used in this project were the Studer Group hourly rounding log and competency checklist with permission.Twenty staff members were in­cluded in the sample,age 18 years and 60 years.The unit has 41 residents who were included in the pilot case study design.Staff members were first educated regarding hourly rounding and documentation on the hourly rounding log was done two days before implementation and the pre and post fall rate was retrieved from the facilities fall database.Competency checklist was completed prior to implementation and post implementa­tion to evaluate staff understanding of the main tenets of the 4 P’s(potty,pain,possession,and position).For this project,descriptive statistics was used to help determine fall rates.Minitab was used to analyzed data and to determine if it was clinically significant.In the ten weeks following the hourly rounding implementation,participants performed hourly rounding by incorporating it to each resident’s daily routine and documented their rounds on the log sheet.The results indicated that it is statistically signifi­cant and with a P-values=-<0.0001 and t-value=-5.81.

Clinical Characteristics and Prevention Strategies of Falls in Hospitalized Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease

Objectives: To analyze the clinical features of falls in hospitalized patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), and to provide basis for preventing the occurrence of falls in hospitalized patients with CKD. Method: A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the 27 adverse events of falls in hospitalized patients from the department of nephrology in Peking University Shenzhen Hospital during May 2009 and May 2019. Results: Among the 27 patients with falls, people over 65 years old accounted for 55.56%;74.07% of the patients had caregivers;the peak period of falls was from June to August, accounting for 40.74%, mainly occurring from 7:00 to 8:00, 12:00 to 13:30 and 19:00 to 21:00;the locations of falls were mostly near the bed and in the bathroom, accounting for 33.33% and 22.22%, respectively;suffering from anemia, hypoproteinemia, abnormal serum potassium, calcium-phosphorus metabolism disorders accompanied by abnormal parathyroid hormone and hypertension accounted for 88.89%, 85.19%, 29.63%, 96.30% and 81.48% respectively. The inpatients on dialysis therapy accounted for 66.67%. Conclusion: The occurrence of falls in hospitalized patients with CKD was not only related to age, caregivers, time, months, locations or other conventional factors, but also the complications and dialysis therapies. To effectively reduce the occurrence of falls, it’s necessary to enhance the sense of safety and responsibility of caregivers. Besides, nurses should strengthen the inspection of wards for inpatients engaging in some intensive activities, and nurses should also pay more attention to the inpatients with anemia, hypoproteinemia, calcium-phosphorus metabolism disorders and those on dialysis therapies.

Cultural Sensitivity of a Community-Based Falls Prevention Program Targeting Older Arab American

Falls are a frequent and costly cause of injuries and functional decline in the elderly. Tai Chi is a cost-effective strategy for preventing falls in older adults. Many senior centers have introduced Tai Chi programs to increase mobility and decrease the risk of falls. However, the practice has yet to be widely disseminated to ethnic minorities who are not culturally connected to Tai Chi. This paper describes implementation barriers and recruitment and retention challenges of Arab American participants in a Tai Chi intervention-based health promotion program, including issues related to community organization and staffing, recruitment and retention, need for building relationships, need for translation and interpreters, and cultural barriers & misconceptions. Understanding and paying adequate attention to these challenges may help facilitate in planning other health promotion interventions targeting Arab American population.

Prevalence and Related Factors of Falls among the Elderly in an Urban Community of Beijing

Objective To understand the prevalence, consequences and risk factors of falls among urban community-dwelling elderly in Beijing. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in Longtan Community, Beijing. A total of 1512 individuals aged 60 years or over were selected by stratified cluster sampling. Data regarding the frequency of falls in the previous year, as well as circumstances, consequence and related factors of falls were collected from the elderly through face-to-face interviews with questionnaires in their home. Results The prevalence of falls was 18.0% on the average among 1512 participants, higher in women （20.1%） than in men （14.9%） （P=0.006）, and increased with age （Х^2 for trend=10.37, P=0.001）. The total rate of falls-induced injuries among the fallers was 37.7%. Falls usually resulted in soft-tissues bruises （58.7%）, fear of repeated episodes of falls （58.8%）, loss of independence and confidence in movement （35.7%） and even in hip fracture. In addition to the burden of medical care, falls also generated a big economic burden. Occurrence of falls was significantly associated with both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. The related factors of falls in the elderly included age≥60-70 years, femininity, less physical activities, fear of future falls, living alone, severely impaired vision, health problem-impacted activities of daily living, chronic diseases （diabetes, hypertension, postural hypotension, stroke sequela, cataract, arthritis, dementia and depression）, medications （psychoactive, anti-diabetic）, gait imbalance, high bed and faintly-lighted stairway. Conclusion The prevalence of falls among urban community-dwelling elderly in Beijing is closely associated with significant associated with intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Efforts to prevent falls in the elderly should be made at community level.

Establishing the Reliability and Validity of Health in Motion^©Automated Falls Screening Tool

Introduction: Blue Marble Health Company has created a digital fall risk screening tool (Health in Motion&#169;) that can be used by means of self-report (touch/mouse) or by means of motion capture (Microsoft Kinect Sensor). Health in Motion&#169;consists of automated versions of the Fall Risk Question-naire, 30-Second Chair Stand Test, and the One Leg Stance Test. Methods: We compared the three methods (self-report, sensor, and clinical standard measurement) using stopwatch and observation in 15 community-dwelling older adults, aged 63 - 80 years old. Each version was completed three times each in random order, for a total of nine trials. Results: Health in Motion&#169;falls screening tool accessible via self-report and sensor is a valid and reliable automated at-home self-assessment for falls risk. Conclusion: Results support the use of Health in Motion&#169;falls screening tools as viable alternatives to standard falls risk assessments for use by older adults at home.

Incidence and Associated Factors for Single and Recurrent Falls among the Elderly in an Urban Community of Beijing

Objective To investigate the incidence of falls and recurrent falls, and explore associated factors for single and recurrent falls among urban community-dwelling elderly in Beijing. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in 472 elderly in the Longtan community of Dongcheng district, Beijing in 2009. Data regarding the incidence of fall and recurrent falls in the previous year, as well as associated factors were collected from the elderly through face-to-face interviews. Results The incidence of falls and recurrent falls was 17.8% and 6.1%, respectively, and it increased with age （X^2for trend=21.06, 19.20, P=0.001, 0.002）. Binary logistic stepwise regression analysis showed that age （OR=2.20）, living alone （OR=4.67） and gait disturbance （OR=1.27） were risk factors, while housing with elevators （OR=0.35）, appropriate width/height of stair steps （0R=0.78）, sufficient lighting for stairway （OR=0.45） and regular exercise （OR=0.12） could lower the risk for single fall; factors such as low monthly family income （OR=1.39）, poor vision （OR=1.83）, low physical ability （OR=4.47）, abnormal static balance （OR=2.48）, and fear of falls（OR=2.23） were risk factors, while appropriate width/height of stair steps （OR=0.49） and easiness of access to daily supplies （OR=0.41） were protective factors for recurrent falls. Conclusion The incidence of falls in commun and their related injuries have been associated ty-dwelling elderly people in Beijing is common, and falls with both intrinsic and extrinsic factors.

Effect of structured nurse-patient conversation on preventing falls among patients in an acute care hospital:A mixed study

Objectives:Inpatient falls are a major patient safety issue in acute care hospitals.Multifactorial inhospital fall prevention programs have shown reductions in falls and related risks.One common element of successful programs is active patient involvement.This study objective was to explore patients’and nurses’experiences with a structured intervention to foster patient involvement.Methods:This study was conducted between September 2020 and April 2021 in a university hospital neurological ward.The studied intervention consisted of a falls information leaflet,and a structured nurse-patient conversation about fall risk-reduction activities.Nurses were trained to deliver the intervention and supported throughout the study.Nurses’and patients’experiences regarding personal involvement,satisfaction,and confidence were surveyed and analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively.Results:Fifty-six patients recruited by ward nurses received the intervention.After receiving the intervention,patients reported high levels of satisfaction with the in-hospital fall prevention conversation.Twenty-one nurses indicated that they would use the leaflet and communication aid.Twenty-one nurses commented on intervention facilitators and barriers.More specific facilitators included their shared perception that“handing out the leaflet to patients was not problematic”and that the leaflet was seen as“applicable in many patient situations.”Their comments indicated two particularly prominent barriers to conducting the intervention in clinical practice:1)“finding the time for the implementation in the daily clinical routine and workload”and 2)“environmental factors like a noisy and busy atmosphere on the ward.”Conclusions:This study provides insights into a patient involvement intervention featuring a structured nurse-patient discussion about fall risks.The accompanying information leaflet and communication guide require adaptations to facilitate sustainable implementation into the hospital’s fall prevention program,but proved useful.

An Efficient and Robust Fall Detection System Using Wireless Gait Analysis Sensor with Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) Algorithms

In this work, a total of 322 tests were taken on young volunteers by performing 10 different falls, 6 different Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and 7 Dynamic Gait Index (DGI) tests using a custom-designed Wireless Gait Analysis Sensor (WGAS). In order to perform automatic fall detection, we used Back Propagation Artificial Neural Network (BP-ANN) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) based on the 6 features extracted from the raw data. The WGAS, which includes a tri-axial accelerometer, 2 gyroscopes, and a MSP430 microcontroller, is worn by the subjects at either T4 (at back) or as a belt-clip in front of the waist during the various tests. The raw data is wirelessly transmitted from the WGAS to a near-by PC for real-time fall classification. The BP ANN is optimized by varying the training, testing and validation data sets and training the network with different learning schemes. SVM is optimized by using three different kernels and selecting the kernel for best classification rate. The overall accuracy of BP ANN is obtained as 98.20% with LM and RPROP training from the T4 data, while from the data taken at the belt, we achieved 98.70% with LM and SCG learning. The overall accuracy using SVM was 98.80% and 98.71% with RBF kernel from the T4 and belt position data, respectively.

Selecting the Optimal Morse Falls Scale Cut-Off Point for Patient Fall Risk

Patient falls have long been a difficult problem and topic of research in the inpatient hospital environment. Hospitals experience heavy financial burden due to patient falls. Preventing falls can improve patient outcomes as well as reduce financial burden on both the patient as well as the healthcare organization. In this study, we determine the optimal cut-off value for patients at risk for falls using a Falls Screening Tool, the Morse Falls Scale. This study was conducted at a community-owned hospital with 256 acute care private rooms and 36 critical care rooms. This study used only the admission Morse Falls Scale (MFS) score in its analysis.

Effectiveness of a Group Exercise Class vs. Home Exercise Program as a Follow-up to Physical Therapy for Older Adults with High Fall Risk

This quasi-experimental study compared the results of a traditional model of physical therapy(PT)care to a PT wellness model known as GroupHab.The traditional model included discharge from PT with a home exercise program(HEP)to be self-administered with or without the addition of a community-based exercise program.The wellness model included participation in a PT-designed and supervised group exercise program(GroupHab class)in an outpatient clinical setting following discharge from PT.Independent t-tests were used to compare the number of falls,exercise frequency,and exercise duration between the two groups.A repeated measures,analysis of variance(RM-ANOVA)compared changes in balance confidence scores both within and between groups,and a multivariate analysis of variance(MANOVA)analyzed group differences across multiple quality of life ratings using the SF-20.All data were analyzed at the 0.05 alpha level using SPSS 24 statistical software.Our results showed a significantly greater reduction in recurrent falls among the GroupHab wellness group compared to the HEP group(t=2.811,p=0.009).The resulting odds ratio for subsequent falls was 2.2 among HEP participants and 0.2 among GroupHab participants.Exercise adherence was also greater for those who participated in the GroupHab class.They documented greater exercise frequency(t=-3.253,p=0.002)and more exercise minutes(t=-7.188,p<0.001)than those who participated in the HEP.When comparing changes in the participants’balance confidence,we found an average increase of 5%among GroupHab participants compared to a 6%decrease among HEP participants(F=16.877,p<0.001,power=0.981).Although our multivariate analysis of the SF-20 scores revealed no significant difference overall(F=0.768,p=0.73),the univariate analyses showed significantly greater improvements among GroupHab participants in selected areas of physical function.These results suggest that at-risk older adults who are discharged into a functionally-based group exercise class are less likely to experience recurrent falls and are more likely to have more confidence in their balance than those who are discharged with a standard HEP and/or use of community-based exercise classes.

Rocfall软件在崩塌地质灾害防治工程设计中的应用

结合崩塌灾害防治工程中的危岩落石防治设计,通过运用边坡落石风险统计分析软件Rocfall,模拟分析危岩段的潜在落石运行轨迹、落石的弹跳高度、最大水平运动速度与撞击能,探讨Rocfall软件在崩塌地质灾害防治工程设计中的应用,为防治措施的合理布置提供依据。

肿瘤患者跌倒风险感知量表的编制及信效度检验

目的编制肿瘤患者跌倒风险感知量表并检验信效度,为肿瘤患者跌倒防范提供自评工具。方法通过文献回顾、专家函询、小组讨论等方式构建量表,选取407例肿瘤患者进行调查,检验量表信效度。结果肿瘤患者跌倒风险感知量表包括跌倒认知易感知性(5个条目)、生理状况易感知性(12个条目)、个人活动易感知性(5个条目)、环境因素易感知性(5个条目)、跌倒严重性感知(3个条目)5个维度共30个条目。探索性因子分析提取5个公因子,累计方差贡献率66.746%。量表总的Cronbach′sα系数为0.926,折半信度为0.672,各维度Cronbach′sα系数为0.914~0.970,折半信度为0.877~0.963。量表水平的内容效度指数为0.867,条目水平的内容效度指数为0.813~1.000。验证性因子分析结果显示,χ^(2)/df=1.845,RMSEA=0.059,GFI=0.840,CFI=0.971,NFI=0.939,AGFI=0.811,模型适配良好;AVE平方根均显著大于相关系数,各维度之间有显著相关性(均P<0.05)。结论肿瘤患者跌倒风险感知量表信效度良好,可用于肿瘤患者跌倒风险感知的评估。

预防住院病人跌倒智能预警体系的构建与应用效果评价

目的:探讨构建的智能预警体系在预防住院病人跌倒中的应用效果。方法:回顾性调取智能预警体系构建前(2019年11月—2020年10月)的住院病人为对照组,选取智能预警体系构建后(2021年4月—2022年3月)的住院病人为观察组。对照组依据住院病人跌倒管理质量评价标准要求,落实住院病人跌倒管理。观察组在对照组的基础上构建预防住院病人跌倒的智能预警体系并应用,比较两组住院病人跌倒管理落实率及单项正确率、跌倒发生率。结果:两组病人跌倒护理质量管理评价标准单项正确率及落实率观察组均高于对照组(P<0.01),观察组跌倒发生率低于对照组(P<0.05)。结论:构建高效、安全的跌倒智能预警体系,通过高危筛查、实时监控、预警提示、反馈处理的信息化管理模式,有效提高了护士对病人跌倒风险管理的及时性、准确性,实现临床护理管理的智能化、高效化、精细化、科学化,确保病人安全。

基于“安全-支持-合作”模式的高危跌倒护理方案在神经内科中的应用效果

目的 探讨基于“安全-支持-合作”模式的高危跌倒护理方案在神经内科的应用效果。方法 选取2022年3月至2023年3月在钦州市第二人民医院神经内科接受治疗的患者200例,随机分为对照组和观察组,每组100例,给予对照组常规护理,观察组于对照组基础上行基于“安全-支持-合作”模式的高危跌倒护理方案,对比2组护理方法对患者跌倒预防自我管理能力(《预防跌倒自我管理行为调查问卷》评价)、跌倒风险(Morese跌倒评估量表评估)、跌倒发生率、护理满意度(纽卡斯尔护理服务满意度量表评价)的影响。结果 2组护理前的《预防跌倒自我管理行为调查问卷》、跌倒风险比较,差异无统计学意义(P>0.05);2组护理后的《预防跌倒自我管理行为调查问卷》高于护理前,且观察组高于对照组;跌倒风险则低于护理前,且观察组低于对照组(P<0.05)。观察组跌倒发生率低于对照组(P<0.05)。观察组护理满意度高于对照组(P<0.05)。结论 基于“安全-支持-合作”模式的高危跌倒护理方案应用于神经内科中可有效改善患者跌倒预防自我管理能力,降低跌倒风险,减少跌倒的发生,并提高患者护理满意度。

住院患者跌倒预防相关临床实践指南的质量评价及推荐意见总结

目的对国内外住院患者跌倒预防相关临床实践指南进行质量评价和推荐意见总结。方法系统检索国内外指南网、医学文献数据库以及专业学术网站,应用相应评价工具对纳入指南和专家共识进行质量评价,并汇总相关推荐内容。检索时限为建库至2022年12月13日。结果共纳入9篇指南和5篇专家共识,9篇指南在AGREE II 6个领域得分为范围和目的94.03%、清晰性73.86%、参与人员76.07%、严谨性80.19%、应用性69.34%、独立性63.88%,其中5篇为A级推荐、4篇为B级推荐;3篇专家共识中的质量评价结果中条目1~6均为“是”,其余2篇条目1~4均为“是”,条目5~6分别为“否”和“不清楚”,5篇专家共识质量评价结果均为“纳入”。经内容整理,住院患者跌倒预防相关内容包括环境改善、跌倒风险评估、跌倒干预及跌倒后处理、药物审查、物理训练、保护器具的使用、营养支持、健康宣教8个方面,28项内容。结论本研究纳入的住院患者跌倒预防指南整体质量较好但仍有待提高,对临床护理人员预防患者跌倒、提高护理质量有一定的指导意义。

PDCA循环管理模式用于预防住院患者跌倒效果分析

目的分析PDCA循环管理模式用于预防住院患者跌倒的效果。方法选取医院2022年6月至2023年9月收治的住院患者70例,随机分为观察组和对照组,各35例。对照组行常规管理模式,观察组行PDCA循环管理模。结果与对照组比较,观察组护士防范跌倒考核分数、患者防跌倒知识知晓率、护理质量评分显著升高(P<0.05),跌倒率显著降低(P<0.05)。结论PDCA循环管理模式用于预防住院患者跌倒的效果好,可有效提升护理人员应对应急情况的能力,提升患者防跌倒认知,强化护理服务质量。