Publication/Presentation Date
4-13-2021
Abstract
Introduction Falls are the leading cause of injury-related death among older adults according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Falls Efficacy Scale (FES) and Vulnerable Elder Survey (VES-13) are validated screening tools used to assess concern of falling, health deterioration and functional decline. We set out to determine if the FES or VES-13 could serve as a predictor of falls among older adults in the Emergency Department (ED) setting. Methods This prospective pilot cohort study was conducted at a Level 1 Trauma Center. ED patients aged ≥65 were eligible for the study if they had a mechanical fall risk defined by CDC criteria. After consent and enrollment, FES and the VES surveys were completed. Participants were followed by phone quarterly, and results of the one-year follow-up self-report of fall history described. Results There were 200 subjects enrolled and after excluding those that were withdrawn, deceased, or lost to follow-up, 184 were available for analysis of their follow-up visit at 12 months. A greater proportion of the participants were women (108 (58.7%) vs 76 (41.3%); P=0.88). The average age of the study participants was 74.2±7.3 years. There was no significant difference in age between men and women (median: 73 vs 73; p=0.47). At the follow-up visit, 33 (17.9%) had a reported fall. The mean age did not significantly differ when comparing those with versus without a fall (75.6 vs 73.9; p=0.24). There was no significant difference in the proportion with a VES-13 ≥ 3 when comparing those with and without a reported fall (45.5% vs 37.8%; p = 0.41). The median FES score did not differ among those with as compared to without a fall (11 vs 10; p=0.12). Conclusions Subjects who had a VES-13 score of ≥3 were statistically no more likely to have fallen than those with a score of
Volume
13
Issue
4
First Page
14471
Last Page
14471
ISSN
2168-8184
Published In/Presented At
Greenberg, M., Jacoby, J., Barraco, R. D., Yazdanyar, A. R., Surmaitis, R. M., Youngdahl, A., Chow, R. B., Murillo, S. M., Zeng, A. H., & Kane, B. G. (2021). Analysis of Falls Efficacy Scale and Vulnerable Elders Survey as Predictors of Falls. Cureus, 13(4), e14471. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.14471
Disciplines
Emergency Medicine | Trauma
PubMedID
33996330
Department(s)
Department of Emergency Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty, Department of Medicine, Department of Surgery, Department of Surgery Faculty, Research Scholars (Acknowledgements and Co-authored Publications), USF-LVHN SELECT Program, USF-LVHN SELECT Program Faculty, USF-LVHN SELECT Program Students
Document Type
Article