Patterns of health service use before and after a statewide fall prevention initiative for older adults at risk of falls

Serene S Paul; Jennifer Taylor; Anne Tiedemann; Lara Harvey; Lindy Clemson; Stephen R Lord; Xenia Dolja-Gore; Jacqueline C T Close; Catherine Sherrington

doi:10.1111/ajag.13053

Patterns of health service use before and after a statewide fall prevention initiative for older adults at risk of falls

Australas J Ageing. 2022 Dec;41(4):542-553. doi: 10.1111/ajag.13053. Epub 2022 Mar 1.

Authors

Serene S Paul^{1

2}, Jennifer Taylor^{1

3}, Anne Tiedemann^{1

3}, Lara Harvey^{4

5}, Lindy Clemson^{6

7}, Stephen R Lord⁴, Xenia Dolja-Gore⁸, Jacqueline C T Close^{4

9}, Catherine Sherrington^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
² Discipline of Movement Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
³ Institute for Musculoskeletal Health, The University of Sydney and Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
⁴ Neuroscience Research Australia (Neura), Randwick, New South Wales, Australia.
⁵ School of Population Health, The University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia.
⁶ ARC Centre for Excellence in Population Ageing Research, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
⁷ Discipline of Occupational Therapy, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
⁸ School of Medicine and Public Health, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia.
⁹ Orthogeriatrics, Prince of Wales Hospital, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia.

Abstract

Objective: To understand health-care burden from fall-related injury, we investigated patterns of health service use in participants of the Australian statewide Stepping On fall prevention program.

Methods: Routinely collected ambulance, emergency, hospital and mortality data for 9163 participants across NSW Local Health Districts between 2009 and 2015 were analysed for patterns in fall-related health service use three years before and after the Stepping On program using negative binomial regression analyses.

Results: Overall fall-related health service use increased over the 6-year study period. There was a high period of usage prior to program participation, which decreased postprogram, then appeared to increase again after 12-15 months. Subgroup analysis showed strongest postprogram reductions for women.

Conclusions: Patterns of service usage suggest initial program benefits that taper off over time. The results of this observational study need to be interpreted with caution. Investment in ongoing fall prevention programs may be needed for lasting impacts.

Keywords: accidental falls; geriatrics; health promotion; healthy aging.

Publication types

Observational Study

MeSH terms

Accidental Falls* / prevention & control
Aged
Ambulances*
Australia
Female
Humans
Patient Acceptance of Health Care

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding