title: Risk items associated with patient falls in oncology and medical settings.
abstract: The aim of this study was to determine whether items on a falls risk-assessment tool, made up of brief cognitive and physical measures that nurses use in practice, differentiated fallers and nonfallers in oncology and medical settings. A measure of leg muscle strength clearly distinguished between fallers and nonfallers, with the latter having stronger leg muscles. For nursing practice, the assessment of patients' muscle strength seems to be the most useful scale for identifying potential fallers.
authors.affiliation: Deakin-Southern Health Nursing Research Centre, Melbourne, Australia. beverly.oconnell@deakin.edu.au
authors.forename: Bev O
authors.initials: BO
authors.lastname: O'Connell
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.forename: Cadeyrn J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Gaskin
authors.forename: Mary T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Hawkins
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053580:Muscle Strength; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000451:nursing*; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment