Scientific background
National as well as international guidelines recommend
a broad spectrum of single and combined interventions
for fall prevention. They aim to detect individuals at high
risk for falls and to remove risk factors for falls. For the
assessment of fall risk a number of formal and nonformal
tests are available. Preventive interventions address
individual risk factors for falls and comprise pharmaceutical
or non-pharmaceutical single interventions
and multifaceted programs. The latter are characterized
by the combination of a number of single measures. So
called multifactorial programs include an assessment of
fall risk, followed by interventions targeting at the individual’s
risk factors. Multifaceted programs that offer the
same selection of interventions to all participants are
termed multiple interventions. Aside from specific measures,
fall prevention also requires that adequate routine
care is delivered safely.
A large number of guideline recommendations are based
on results of trials with inconclusive results. In particular,
there is a lack of trials investigating setting and target
group specific effects of fall prevention.
The economic relevance results from the presumed effectiveness
of interventions to prevent falls and fall-related
injuries with their associated costs.