title: Tailored education program using home floor plans for falls prevention in discharged older patients: A pilot randomized controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of a tailored education program using home floor plans on falls prevention in discharged older patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A single-center, parallel, pragmatic, pilot randomized controlled trial with equal allocation to the intervention and control groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  Discharged hospital patients were followed-up in their home settings.
  
  
  METHODS
  All discharged orthopedic patients aged ≥65 years who experienced ≥1 fall(s) in the past year (n=60).
  
  
  METHODS
  Both groups received standard care (exercises) and the intervention group also received a tailored education program for falls prevention using home floor plans.
  
  
  METHODS
  Falls and near-falls at the participants' homes using a 1-month fall calendar during the 1-month period after discharge. The evaluators were blinded at the baseline assessment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nine participants were withdrawn from the study, leaving 51 of 60 (85%) participants for the final analyses. No falls occurred in the intervention group (n=25) during follow-up. However, 2 participants (7.7%) fell in the control group (n=26). Near-falls were reported by 7 participants (28.0%) in the intervention group and 13 participants (50.0%) in the control group. The intervention group had 75% less near-falls compared with the control group, as assessed using a Cox proportional hazards model (hazard ratio, 0.25; 95% confidence interval, 0.09-0.75).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The tailored education program using home floor plans at the hospital was effective for reducing falls and near-falls among discharged orthopedic patients. Registration of clinical trials: This study was registered with the Research Ethics Committee of University Hospital Medical Information Network (UMIN) Center (000018201).
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Comprehensive Rehabilitation, Osaka Prefecture University, Habikino City, Osaka, Japan. Electronic address: tetsu6up@yahoo.co.jp.
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ueda
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Comprehensive Rehabilitation, Osaka Prefecture University, Habikino City, Osaka, Japan. Electronic address: yumi@rehab.osakafu-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Yumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Higuchi
authors.affiliation: Section of Cohort Study for Longevity, Department of Preventive Gerontology, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Moriokacho, Obu City, Aichi, Japan. Electronic address: imaokamasakazu@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Masakazu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Imaoka
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Comprehensive Rehabilitation, Osaka Prefecture University, Habikino City, Osaka, Japan. Electronic address: emiko@rehab.osakafu-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Emiko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Todo
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Comprehensive Rehabilitation, Osaka Prefecture University, Habikino City, Osaka, Japan. Electronic address: t-kitagawa@reha.shijonawate-gakuen.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Tomomi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kitagawa
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Comprehensive Rehabilitation, Osaka Prefecture University, Habikino City, Osaka, Japan. Electronic address: suguru.ando@ocr.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Suguru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ando
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010351:Patient Discharge; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010865:Pilot Projects
keywords: Discharged patients; Education; Falls prevention; Home floor plan; Pilot randomized controlled trial