Fall-Prevention Education Can Lead to Reduced Acute Care Costs, Connecticut Report Finds
Educating health care practitioners and the elderly about ways to prevent falling can significantly reduce the number of emergency department visits and health care costs in Connecticut, according to a recent state-funded report, the New Haven Register reports. Researchers analyzed the rate of fall-related injuries from 2004 to 2006 among residents ages 70 and older in two Connecticut counties. In one county, about 3,000 physicians were educated about fall intervention practices, while physicians in the other county received no information about preventing falls.
According to study author Dorothy Baker of Yale University School of Medicine, there was an 11% reduction in fall-related medical services in the county where physicians were exposed to fall prevention practices. The reduction in falls translated into 1,800 fewer ED visits and hospital admissions, and a $21 million reduction in acute care costs (Carter, New Haven Register, 8/7).
