Annals of emergency medicine
-
Comparative Study
Missed Opportunities to Diagnose and Intervene in Modifiable Risk Factors for Older Emergency Department Patients Presenting After a Fall.
Falls are a major cause of mortality and morbidity in adults aged 65 years and older and a common chief complaint in the emergency department (ED). However, the rate of missed opportunities to diagnose and intervene in modifiable fall-risk factors in the ED is unknown. We hypothesize that although ED providers (defined as ED attendings, residents, and advanced care providers) excel at assessing and ruling out injury, they miss the opportunity to identify a large portion of the modifiable risk factors that contribute to a patient's fall. Our objective is to quantify the number of missed opportunities to identify and reduce fall-risk factors in older adult ED patients presenting after a fall. ⋯ Providers frequently fail to identify and intervene in modifiable fall-risk factors in older adult patients presenting to the ED after a fall; this is a missed opportunity. Addressing the risk factors that contributed to the fall during a fall-related ED visit may minimize fall risk and promote safer mobility.