1. The use of a primary care provider survey to implement a fall prevention program in an urban hospital system
- Author
-
Susan Kartiko, Rabab M. Barq, Chen-min S. Hung, Monica L. Lypson, and Christina Prather
- Subjects
Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Attitude of Health Personnel ,Health Personnel ,Psychological intervention ,Primary care ,030230 surgery ,03 medical and health sciences ,Hospitals, Urban ,0302 clinical medicine ,Multidisciplinary approach ,Surveys and Questionnaires ,Humans ,Medicine ,Geriatric Assessment ,Reimbursement ,Aged ,Response rate (survey) ,Primary Health Care ,business.industry ,Incidence ,Survey research ,030220 oncology & carcinogenesis ,Family medicine ,District of Columbia ,Accidental Falls ,Female ,Surgery ,business ,Program Evaluation ,Fall prevention ,Urban hospital - Abstract
Background Falls are the leading cause of traumatic injury in older adults. Multidisciplinary approaches between trauma surgeons and primary care providers can powerfully advocate for fall prevention. This study explores current fall prevention practices and barriers to falls screening and prevention in the primary care setting and proposes pertinent recommendations to address the deficiencies. Methods A questionnaire was adapted from a previous survey study to explore the beliefs, knowledge, attitudes, and clinical practice regarding falls by primary care providers. The questionnaire was distributed by e-mail to primary care providers at a tertiary urban medical center. Results The survey achieved a response rate of 58%. All respondents agreed that older adult patients should be assessed for fall risks and that evidence-based fall prevention programs can reduce the risk of falls. However, 43% of respondents did not agree that they had the expertise to perform fall risk assessments, and similarly 43% did not agree they have the time to perform fall risk assessments in the office. Furthermore, although 52% of respondents were aware of the Medicare reimbursement for fall risk screening, only 24% had billed for fall risk screening and only 5% agreed that they were adequately reimbursed. Conclusion Several barriers to performing fall prevention care in the primary care setting were identified: unfamiliarity with resources, perceived lack of time, and perceived insufficient reimbursement. We implemented a set of interventions which include an educational series and workflow optimization to overcome barriers identified.
- Published
- 2021