Hospital and non-hospital costs for fall-related injury in community-dwelling older people.
OBJECTIVE
This study determined the cost of fall-related health care in a cohort of community-dwelling people.


METHODS
578 people aged 75 years and over were monitored for falls and related health-care costs for one year.


RESULTS
The mean cost per injurious fall was $1600 (year 2000 dollars). Hospital costs accounted for 67% of the total cost, even though only 4% of injurious falls required hospital admission. The cost of non-hospital health care was also substantial.


CONCLUSIONS
This study highlights the economic burden of falls and the importance of injury prevention strategies.
Tiedemann
Anne C
AC
Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute, University of New South Wales. a.tiedemann@powmri.edu.au
Murray
Susan M
SM
Munro
Bridget
B
Lord
Stephen R
SR
D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004469:Economics, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006295:Health Resources; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000191:economics*; D006306:Health Surveys; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009517:New South Wales; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires