JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association
-
Which types of interventions reduce falls in older people living in the community? ⋯ Fall-prevention exercise programs, usually including muscle strengthening and balance retraining, were associated with lower fall rates in community-dwelling older people whether or not individuals were selected on the basis of fall risk. Home safety interventions, vitamin D supplementation in people with lower vitamin D levels, and individually targeted multifactorial interventions were associated with fewer falls in community-dwelling people with risk factors for falling.
-
Critical access hospitals (CAHs) provide inpatient care to Americans living in rural communities. These hospitals are at high risk of falling behind with respect to quality improvement, owing to their limited resources and vulnerable patient populations. How they have fared on patient outcomes during the past decade is unknown. ⋯ Among Medicare beneficiaries with acute myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, or pneumonia, 30-day mortality rates for those admitted to CAHs, compared with those admitted to other acute care hospitals, increased from 2002 to 2010. New efforts may be needed to help CAHs improve.