The Importance Of Fall Prevention

Accidental falls have been established as a significant problem by healthcare systems worldwide. A fall can result in a significant injury or death. Falls are often preventable, none the less, they continue to be detrimental to everyone involved. Internationally, fall prevention is an increasing area of interest. Despite being a universal problem, there is no universal standard of care. Some healthcare systems have adopted fall prevention programs. Unfortunately, when a fall prevention program is initiated, it may not be completely reliable. With so many methods available to identify fall risks, it is challenging to find one that is consistently effective. The immense variety of options available present a problem, according to Bergen

For this study, a group of 141 patients underwent an eye exam and answered a basic questionnaire. Twelve months later, thirteen of those patients had a total of twenty-five falls combined. Data analysis revealed worsening visual acuity as a common risk factor. The data was further analyzed with an AdaBoost machine learning model. The author concluded that a visual assessment and standardized questionnaire, combined with a machine learning model, can accurately predict the likelihood of a fall within a year. A review of a non-research study, analyzed four fall risk assessment tools and provided recommendations (Minkemeyer et al., 2015). The author revealed that the population of West Virginia possesses the second highest percentage of people sixty-five years and older. With this concentration of older adults falling is a major concern. Advantages and disadvantages of four risk assessment tools were compared. The studies final recommendation was to use the Timed Up and Go fall risk assessment

Barriers Change will always have barriers to overcome. When a culture must change, it will likely meet resistance. When an organization uses a specific fall risk assessment tool, they can become comfortable with using it. With practice changes, clinicians will require training and time to become proficient. This process of learning a new task can lead to anxiety and resistance to participate. Converting research into a tangible practice model also has barriers. Finding credible sources of research can be time-consuming. When reviewing previous studies, the conclusions may be incomplete or incompatible with the goal. In some studies, the data may not be translatable to real life practice. It is also possible that there has been no previous research done to address a specific problem. If no previous research is available, the clinician or organization will have to conduct a new study to gather the needed data.

F3. Strategies for