Fallers’ clinics have been introduced into health services in many parts of the UK, but there is no standardisation in their organisation. This project will identify the different models that are in use: where their patients are referred from and to, which patients are seen in the clinic, the staffing of the clinic, how they measure peoples’ risk of falling, and what fall prevention interventions are used. We will carry out a national survey of fallers’ clinics by telephone to collect this information, and will use it to describe the characteristics of current UK fallers’ clinics.

We will search the medical and other literature to update and extend existing reviews of the effectiveness of methods of fall prevention in order to assess whether existing fallers’ clinics are based on sound evidence. We will also set up a stakeholder group with representatives from key organisations, to guide a wide-ranging review of the factors that are important in determining the success of fallers’ clinics. This group will include people who can represent the opinions and concerns of older people who might use a fallers’ clinic.

The third part of the project will assess the feasibility of conducting economic modelling of the cost-effectiveness of fallers’ clinics. For this, we will develop a framework for economic models, which will identify all of the information needed. We will use reviews of the literature to update an existing review of economic studies and to decide whether there is sufficient published information to produce economic models. This will enable us to produce a plan for a future economic modelling project, and to determine whether this future project is feasible.

Project Team

Useful Links

Publications:

Results of review of effectiveness of falls clinics

ProFaNE - Prevention of Falls Network Europe