Fall prevention education for older people being discharged from hospital: Educators’ perspectives

Abstract

Objective: Falls are a significant problem for many older patients after hospital discharge. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the fidelity and impact of a tailored patient fall prevention education programme from the perspective of the educators who delivered the programme. Design: Qualitative sequential design. Setting: Three rehabilitation hospitals in Western Australia. Method: Three experienced physiotherapists trained as ‘educators’ to deliver a tailored fall prevention education programme to 195 older patients prior to hospital discharge, together with monthly telephone follow-up for 3 months after discharge. Educator–patient interactions were recorded in a standardised educator diary. Post-intervention, educators participated in a mini-focus group, providing their perspectives regarding education delivery and its impact on patient abilities to engage in fall prevention strategies. Data were analysed using deductive content analysis. Results: Educators followed up 184 (94%) patients, identifying multiple barriers and enablers affecting patient engagement in planned fall prevention strategies. Key barriers included unresolved medical conditions, reluctance to accept assistance on discharge, delays in assistive service provision, patient beliefs and perceptions about falls and, in some cases, patients’ absolving responsibility for recovery. Enablers were related to programme design, the completion of hospital discharge processes and support networks following discharge. Conclusion: Educators identified several barriers and enablers to programme delivery, receipt and enactment by older patients that contributed to the fidelity of the education programme. The consistent need for more patient support to enable improved enactment of plans and assist with safe recovery long after discharge warrants further attention at policy and health system levels.

Interprofessional education to implement patient falls education in hospitals: Lessons learned

“…Despite a wide range of interventions for preventing falls in hospitals and care facilities, falls in healthcare organizations remain a serious problem worldwide (Avanecean et al, 2017 ; Cameron et al, 2018 ; Morris et al, 2021 ). Patient education is an integral part of falls prevention and has been found to have a positive effect on the risk of hospital falls (Francis‐Coad et al, 2021 ; Heng, Jazayeri, et al, 2020 ; Hill et al, 2019 ; Hill, McPhail, Waldron, Etherton‐Beer, Flicker, et al, 2015 ; Hill, McPhail, Waldron, Etherton‐Beer, Ingram, et al, 2015 ). Falls prevention education for patients aims to increase their understanding of falls and falls risk, as well as empowering them with falls prevention strategies (Haines et al, 2015 ; Naseri et al, 2021 ).…”