title: Educators' perspectives about how older hospital patients can engage in a falls prevention education programme: a qualitative process evaluation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Falls are the most frequent adverse event reported in hospitals. Patient and staff education delivered by trained educators significantly reduced falls and injurious falls in an older rehabilitation population. The purpose of the study was to explore the educators' perspectives of delivering the education and to conceptualise how the programme worked to prevent falls among older patients who received the education.
  
  
  METHODS
  A qualitative exploratory study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were gathered from three sources: conducting a focus group and an interview (n=10 educators), written educator notes and reflective researcher field notes based on interactions with the educators during the primary study. The educators delivered the programme on eight rehabilitation wards for periods of between 10 and 40 weeks. They provided older patients with individualised education to engage in falls prevention and provided staff with education to support patient actions. Data were thematically analysed and presented using a conceptual framework.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Falls prevention education led to mutual understanding between staff and patients which assisted patients to engage in falls prevention behaviours. Mutual understanding was derived from the following observations: the educators perceived that they could facilitate an effective three-way interaction between staff actions, patient actions and the ward environment which led to behaviour change on the wards. This included engaging with staff and patients, and assisting them to reconcile differing perspectives about falls prevention behaviours.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Individualised falls prevention education effectively provides patients who receive it with the capability and motivation to develop and undertake behavioural strategies that reduce their falls, if supported by staff and the ward environment.
authors.affiliation: School of Physiotherapy, The University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia Institute for Health Research, The University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Anne-Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.affiliation: Centre for Functioning and Health Research, Metro South Health, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation and School of Public Health & Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Steven M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: McPhail
authors.affiliation: School of Physiotherapy, The University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia Institute for Health Research, The University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Francis-Coad
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation and Aged Care, Armadale Kelmscott Memorial Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia Department of Health Strategy and Networks, Strategic System, Policy & Planning, Department of Health, Government of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Waldron
authors.affiliation: WA Centre for Health and Ageing, Royal Perth Hospital Unit, School of Medicine & Pharmacology and Centre for Medical Research, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Etherton-Beer
authors.affiliation: WA Centre for Health and Ageing, Royal Perth Hospital Unit, School of Medicine & Pharmacology and Centre for Medical Research, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Leon
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Flicker
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation, Aged Care Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Katharine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ingram
authors.affiliation: Physiotherapy Department, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Allied Health Research Unit, Monash Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Terry P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Haines
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000592:standards*; D010358:Patient Participation; D036301:Qualitative Research
keywords: GERIATRIC MEDICINE; QUALITATIVE RESEARCH; REHABILITATION MEDICINE