Clinician-Patient Engagement Reduces Risk of Falls

A recently conducted studied aimed to understand the interactions between patients and clinicians in a falls prevention program. McKnight’s reports that the Strategies to Reduce Injuries and Develop Confidence in Elders (STRIDE) program concluded that increased clinician-patient engagement can help prevent falls.

The study included 2,400 participants among the older adult population. Less than half of the adults coordinated with their interdisciplinary team or fall care manager to manage their risk factors for falls. Engagement rates dropped based on the level of interaction the participant had with the team. However, the program did find that participants who were visited by clinicians twice were more prone to following the recommended actions to help decrease their risks of a fall.

Researchers wrote in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society that the findings of the study “underscore the need to improve strategies that promote fall-reducing actions — beyond receiving assessment results. This drop-off in engagement suggests that future interventions need to be more focused on improving patient-clinician partnerships and helping patients increase and maintain fall prevention actions that target their prioritized fall risks.”

Researchers concluded that more visits from clinicians offered better supportive care to older adults and were essential for reducing the risk of falls.

Clinicians of Cornerstone Rehab offer care to older adults in skilled nursing facilities, helping patients recover from falls while educating them about fall prevention. Our physical therapists, occupational therapists and assistants offer person-centered care to help promote independence.