Can Fall Risk Screening and Fall Prevention Advice in Hospital Settings Motivate Older Adult Patients to Take Action to Reduce Fall Risk?

OBJECTIVE

We investigated whether an in-hospital intervention consisting of fall risk screening and tailored advice could prompt patients to take preventive action.

METHOD

Patients (≥70) attending the emergency department and nephrology outpatient clinic in a Dutch hospital were screened. Patients at high risk received tailored advice based on their individual risk factors. Three months after screening, preventive steps taken by patients were surveyed.

RESULTS

Two hundred sixteen patients were screened. Of the 83 patients completing a 3-month follow-up, 51.8% took action; among patients who received tailored advice ( = 20), 70% took action. Patients most often adhered to advice on improving muscle strength and undergoing vision checkups (20%). Tailored advice and a reported low quality of life were associated with consulting a health care provider.

DISCUSSION

Patients at risk in these settings are inclined to take action after screening. However, they do not always adhere to the tailored prevention advice.