title: Effectiveness of a fall-risk reduction programme for inpatient rehabilitation after stroke.
abstract: To evaluate effectiveness of fall-risk-assessment-based fall prevention for stroke rehabilitation inpatients.
  
  
  
  A consecutive series of 232 patients admitted for the first time to a subacute stroke-rehabilitation ward during 2010-2011 was studied in detail. The Assessment Sheet for Fall Prediction in Stroke Inpatients (ASFPSI by Nakagawa et al.) was used to assess fall-risk upon admission. Association of ASFPSI score and patient characteristics with actual falls was statistically tested. Yearly incidence of falls per 1000 hospital days (HD) was retrospectively audited for the 2006-2014 period to evaluate effectiveness of fall-risk reduction measures.
  
  
  
  The observed incidence of falls over the detailed-study-period was 3.0/1000 HD; 39% of the fallers fell during the first week after admission. ASFPSI score was not significantly associated with falls. Longer hospital stay, left body-side affected and non-extreme FIM score (55-101) were associated with higher odds of fall. Introduction of fall-risk reduction measures followed by compulsory fall-risk assessment lead to incidence of falls dropping from 7.1/1000 HD in 2006 to 2.8/1000 HD in 2011 and remaining at that level until 2014.
  
  
  
  The fall-risk-assessment-based measures appear to have led to decreasing falls risk among post-stroke rehabilitation inpatients classified as being at high risk of falls. The fall prevention programme as a whole was successful. Patients with non-extreme level of functional independence should receive enhanced fall prevention. Implications for Rehabilitation Recognising the fall risk upon the patient's admission is essential for preventing falls in rehabilitation wards. Assessing the fall risk is a team tasks and combines information from various sources. Assessing fall risk in stroke patients using the assessment sheet by Nakagawa et al. immediately upon admission systematically draws attention to the risk of falls in each individual patient.
authors.affiliation: a University Rehabilitation Institute, Republic of Slovenia , Ljubljana , Slovenia ;|b Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine , Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana , Ljubljana , Slovenia ;
authors.forename: Nika
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Goljar
authors.affiliation: a University Rehabilitation Institute, Republic of Slovenia , Ljubljana , Slovenia ;
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Globokar
authors.affiliation: a University Rehabilitation Institute, Republic of Slovenia , Ljubljana , Slovenia ;
authors.forename: Nataša
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Puzić
authors.affiliation: a University Rehabilitation Institute, Republic of Slovenia , Ljubljana , Slovenia ;
authors.forename: Natalija
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kopitar
authors.affiliation: a University Rehabilitation Institute, Republic of Slovenia , Ljubljana , Slovenia ;
authors.forename: Maja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vrabič
authors.affiliation: a University Rehabilitation Institute, Republic of Slovenia , Ljubljana , Slovenia ;
authors.forename: Matic
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ivanovski
authors.affiliation: a University Rehabilitation Institute, Republic of Slovenia , Ljubljana , Slovenia ;|c Faculty of Medicine, Institute for Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Ljubljana , Ljubljana , Slovenia.
authors.forename: Gaj
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vidmar
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; D015994:Incidence; D007297:Inpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D017524:Slovenia; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications*; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Fall risk; falls; inpatient rehabilitation; prevention; stroke