2021/11/08 by Lisa Allee, Mark Faul, Prathima Guntipalli +12
Health Professions · Medicine · #Balance, Gait, and Falls Prevention #Injury Epidemiology and Prevention #Trauma and Emergency Care Studies
paper · doi:10.1177/00031348211047509
crossref issued 2021/11/08 · crossref published 2021/11/08 · crossref published-online 2021/11/08 · openalex publication_date 2021/11/08 · crossref created 2021/11/08 · crossref published-print 2023/04/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · crossref deposited 2026/04/28 · crossref indexed 2026/08/01 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
Introduction Approximately 27.5% of adults 65 and older fall each year, over 3 million are treated in an emergency department, and 32 000 die. The American College of Surgeons and its Committee on Trauma (ACSCOT) have urged trauma centers (TCs) to screen for fall risk, but information on the role of TC in this opportunity for prevention is largely unknown. Methods A 29-item survey was developed by an ACSCOT Injury Prevention and Control Committee, Older Adult Falls workgroup, and emailed to 1000 trauma directors of the National Trauma Data Bank using Qualtrics. US TCs were surveyed regarding fall prevention, screening, intervention, and hospital discharge practices. Data collected and analyzed included respondent’s role, location, population density, state designation or American College of Surgeons (ACS) level, if teaching facility, and patient population. Results Of the 266 (27%) respondents, 71% of TCs include fall prevention as part of their mission, but only 16% of TCs use fall risk screening tools. There was no significant difference between geographic location or ACS level. The number of prevention resources (F = 31.58, P < .0001) followed by the presence of a formal screening tool (F = 21.47, P < .0001) best predicted the presence of a fall prevention program. Conclusion Older adult falls remain a major injury risk and injury prevention opportunity. The majority of TCs surveyed include prevention of older adult falls as part of their mission, but few incorporate the components of a fall prevention program. Development of best practices and requiring TCs to screen and offer interventions may prevent falls.