Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Intervention Studies with General Practitioner Involvement Focused on Falls Prevention for Community-Dwelling Older People

Bibliographic Data

ID16810001
AuthorsLynette Mackenzie (0000-0002-1597-2051, The University of Sydney), Ann-Marie Beavis (The University of Sydney), Amy C W Tan (The University of Sydney), Lindy Clemson (0000-0003-2687-1114, The University of Sydney)
Year2020
Volume32
Issue10
Pages1562-1578
Publication date2020-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Aging and Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1552-6887 • E-ISSN: 0898-2643
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/0898264320945168
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited57

Objectives: Falls are a significant health problem for the ageing population. This review aimed to identify effective falls prevention interventions with involvement of general practitioners (GPs). Methods: Systematic review of randomised controlled trials conducted from 1999–2019, with meta-analysis. Searches located 2736 articles. A quality assessment was conducted of all included studies. Results: 21 randomised controlled trials met the inclusion criteria and 19 studies could be included in a meta-analysis. Overall, studies were not effective for reducing multiple falls (Relative Risk (RR) 1.16, 95% CI .97–1.39 and p = .10) or reducing one or more falls (RR .91, 95% CI: .82–1.01 and p = .08), but were effective for reducing injurious falls (RR .76, 95% CI: .66–.87 and p = .001). Discussion: Studies involving the GP in an active role and aligned with the primary care context were effective. The fidelity of interventions was limited by independent GP decisions and older participants being required to initiate the intervention

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