Use of the 'STRATIFY' falls risk assessment in patients recovering from acute stroke.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the predictive validity and reliability of the STRATIFY falls risk assessment tool as applied to patients recovering from acute stroke.


METHODS
Prospective cohort study.


METHODS
Six stroke rehabilitation units in the North of England.


METHODS
All patients with a diagnosis of acute stroke admitted to the participating stroke units during a 6-month study period.


RESULTS
on admission, falls risk (STRATIFY), disability (Barthel index), mobility (Rivermead mobility index), cognitive impairment (abbreviated mental test score) and visual neglect (Albert's test) were assessed. Then, STRATIFY was completed weekly and within 48 h of anticipated discharge. Consenting patients were contacted at 3 months after discharge to determine falls.


METHODS
Occurrence of a fall within 28 days of the baseline STRATIFY (in-patient study), falls in the first 3 months after discharge (post-discharge study) and falls during stroke unit stay (reliability study).


RESULTS
From 387 patients admitted to the participating units during the study period, 225 contributed to the 28 day in-patient study, and 234 were followed up at 3 months after discharge. STRATIFY performed poorly in predicting falls in the first 28 days (sensitivity 11.3% and specificity 89.5%) and after discharge (sensitivity 16.3% and specificity 86.4%). Agreement was 'fair' between baseline and discharge scores (kappa = 0.263) and 'good' between the pre-hospital discharge score and that obtained in the week preceding discharge (kappa = 0.639).


CONCLUSIONS
STRATIFY performed poorly as a predictor of falls in a heterogeneous population of stroke patients. There is a need for a disease-specific rather than a generic falls risk assessment tool.
Smith
Jane
J
Stroke United Network Yorkshire (SUNY), Academic Unit of Elderly Care and Rehabilitation, St Luke's Hospital, University of Leeds. stroke.research@bradfordhospitals.nhs.uk
Forster
Anne
A
Young
John
J
D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D051346:Mobility Limitation; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012372:ROC Curve; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation