Evidence-Based Fall Prevention for Interdisciplinary Care Teams

Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

1. Analyze the multifactorial pathophysiology of falls, differentiating between intrinsic medical conditions, extrinsic environmental hazards, and age-related physiological changes.
2. Select and interpret specific, validated assessment tools (e.g., TUG, Berg Balance Scale) based on the patient's clinical setting and functional capacity.
3. Diagnose potentially reversible medical contributors to falls, such as orthostatic hypotension, syncope, and high-risk medication use, and formulate a prioritized deprescribing plan.
4. Construct an individualized, evidence-based fall-prevention plan that combines exercise strategies (e.g., Tai Chi, Otago), medication risk mitigation, and setting-specific patient/caregiver education with practical materials (e.g., a home safety checklist) and targeted referrals (e.g., OT home safety evaluation, PT, community programs) to reduce recurrent falls.
5. Design a system-level quality improvement initiative using data-driven metrics to lead interdisciplinary fall prevention teams and improve patient safety outcomes.