Emergency department fall-related presentations do not trigger fall risk assessment: a gap in care of high-risk outpatient fallers.
We wanted to determine whether women aged 70 years and older, who presented to the emergency department (ED) with a fall and injury, received guideline care within 18 months of presentation. Women aged 70 years and older who presented to the ED with a fall were recorded prospectively from August 1, 2001 to May 1, 2002 (n=226). Structured telephone interviews were performed 18 months after the ED fall to obtain details of patient management (n=63). The most frequently reported referral was to the family physician (32%) and to physiotherapy (24%). We concluded that most older women who presented to the ED with a fall did not appear to be receiving current guideline care. We propose that future research use a prospective study design to assess whether or not guideline care is being delivered by a variety of health care providers after the patients leave the ED.
Department of Health Care and Epidemiology, 5804 Fairview Ave., Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z3.
Meghan G
MG
Donaldson
Karim M
KM
Khan
Jennifer C
JC
Davis
Allison E
AE
Salter
Jan
J
Buchanan
Doug
D
McKnight
Patti A
PA
Janssen
Margie
M
Bell
Heather A
HA
McKay
D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D001955:British Columbia / Q000453:epidemiology; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D010045:Outpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018570:Risk Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires