Effect of Physiotherapy in Patients Presenting to the Emergency Department After a Fall
- Conditions
- Fear of Falling
- Interventions
- Other: physiotherapeutic intervention
- Registration Number
- NCT05156944
- Lead Sponsor
- University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
- Brief Summary
The aim of this monocentric, block-randomized, controlled, open-label, parallel-group study is to assess whether patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with a fall within the past 7 days would benefit from a physiotherapy intervention, as compared to patients without physiotherapy intervention at the time of ED presentation. Primary objective of this study is to assess "fear of falling" 7 days after ED presentation with versus without a physiotherapy intervention.
- Detailed Description
Not available
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- COMPLETED
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 104
- Written informed consent
- Age ≥65
- History of falls within the last 7 days
- Presentation to the ED of the University Hospital Basel
- Inpatient disposition after ED work-up
- Immobilizing fractures of the lower extremities
- Inability or contraindications to undergo the investigated intervention or follow the study procedures, e.g. due to certain neurological disorders (such as parkinsonism, hemiplegia, severe multiple sclerosis), language problems, psychological disorders, cognitive impairment
- Prior enrolment in this trial
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- PARALLEL
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description intervention group physiotherapeutic intervention The study intervention is a brief physiotherapeutic assessment, a brief information on the expected course of the condition, and a brief instruction on self-management, including two exercises for daily self-guided therapy.
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Change in short International Falls efficacy scale (sFES-I) At Day 0 and Day 7 ± 7 days Change in the fear of falling between groups at day 7, measured by the short International Falls efficacy scale (sFES-I). It is a 7-item questionnaire where individuals are instructed to score their concern of falling during an activity on a 4 point Likert scale with 1 as not concerned at all and 4 as very concerned. The item scores are summed up to obtain a total, with a higher score indicating a higher fear of falling.
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Occurence of falls Day 7 ± 7 days, Day 21 ± 3 days, Day 42 ± 3 days Occurence of falls following randomization from patient recollection
Feasibility of the intervention At Day 0 Feasibility of the intervention assessed by a questionnaire filled out by the physiotherapist
Change in short International Falls efficacy scale (sFES-I) At Day 0, Day 7 ± 7 days, Day 21 ± 3 days, Day 42 ± 3 days Change in the fear of falling, measured by the short International Falls efficacy scale (sFES-I). It is a 16-item questionnaire where individuals are instructed to score their concern of falling during an activity on a 4 point Likert scale with 1 as not concerned at all and 4 as very concerned. The item scores are summed up to obtain a total, with higher the score, higher being the concern for falling.
Utilization of medical resources Day 7 ± 7 days, Day 21 ± 3 days, Day 42 ± 3 days Comparison of the use of medical resources between both groups (ED visits, GP visits, hospitalization, physiotherapy, imaging; all since inclusion)
Satisfaction with ED work-up Day 7 ± 7 days Patients' satisfaction with ED work-up assessed by questionnaire
Objective functional levels in the intervention group At Day 0 and Day 7 ± 7 days Functional levels measured by SPPB in the intervention group
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
Department of Emergency Medicine, University Hospital Basel
🇨🇭Basel, Switzerland