title: Reduction in falling after a falls-assessment.
abstract: The aim of this single-center retrospective cohort study was to evaluate the effect of a multidisciplinary falls-assessment, consisting of identification and possible modification of risk factors for falls, on the frequency of falls among elderly individuals attending the geriatric outpatient department of the University Medical Center (UMC) Utrecht, the Netherlands. The characteristics of 70 elderly people who visited the outpatient department because of a fall in the period from May 2005 till February 2007 were evaluated. The effectiveness of the falls-assessment was evaluated by telephone interview of those individuals who had attended the falls-assessment. Fifty-three patients (mean age=79.8 years) were interviewed after a mean+/-S.D. of 1.47+/-0.41 years (ranging 0.72-2.34 years) subsequent to the falls-assessment. Falls-assessment led to significantly fewer falls, from 3.78+/-4.66 at the time of the assessment at baseline to 1.10+/-1.86 at the time of the interview (p=0.000041). Fear of falling was also significantly diminished. In conclusion, falls-assessment leads to fewer falls and less fear of falling among elderly individuals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, P.O. Box 85.500 (room B05.256), 3508 GA Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A H G
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Hansma
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Emmelot-Vonk
authors.forename: H J J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Verhaar
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000061:Accidents, Home / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D005853:Geriatrics; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology; D009426:Netherlands; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment