title: Home modification to prevent falls by older ED patients.
abstract: This trial was conducted at 11 EDs to test the effectiveness of distributing fall prevention information to patients 65 years or older. Intervention patients were given 2 brochures and received a reminder call 2 weeks later. All patients were called at 1 month and asked if they made home safety modifications. Three hundred ninety-seven patients were enrolled (118 control, 279 intervention). Seventy-six percent had complete follow up interviews. Nine percent of control and 8% of intervention patients reported a home modification (95% confidence interval on difference, -8.1% to 5.5%). Patients who fell in the prior year had a 2.0 increased odds (95% confidence interval, 0.8-4.6) of making a home modification. The similar home modification rates in the 2 study groups suggest that even minimum discussion (eg, the informed consent procedure) may increase patients' fall prevention activities. The stronger association in patients who fell suggests that a targeted program may have added benefit.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health Sciences, Northeastern Ohio University College of Medicine, Rootstown 44272, USA. lgerson@neoucom.edu
authors.forename: Lowell W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Gerson
authors.forename: Carlos A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Camargo
authors.forename: Scott T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Wilber
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000061:Accidents, Home / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012449:Safety