Automated ED screening and referral to prevent future falls in older adults
Official title: Preventing Future Falls in Older Adult ED Patients: Evaluating the Implementation and Effectiveness of a Novel Automated Screening and Referral Intervention
Funded at University of Wisconsin-Madison · NIH-11146452 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses automatic screening in emergency departments to connect older adults at risk of falling to follow-up prevention services after they leave the ED.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Wisconsin-Madison NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Madison, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2021 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $343,599 |
| NIH project number | 5R18HS027735-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11146452 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Older adults seen in participating emergency departments—especially those who come in after a fall or have known fall-risk factors—are the ideal candidates for this intervention.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not older adults, who are seen at non-participating EDs, who cannot access follow-up services, or whose fall risks are not detectable by the system may not receive benefit.
What this research studies
If I go to a participating emergency department, the hospital's records system would automatically flag me if I'm at risk for future falls and generate a referral to appropriate prevention services without adding work for nurses or doctors. The tool pulls from existing data and can adjust how often it refers people based on clinic availability while still letting physicians make the final call. The research team previously built and validated this automated screening and is now testing how well it works when put into routine ED care and whether it actually reduces future falls and follow-up visits. The focus is on making a scalable system that links patients to services after discharge rather than changing ED clinical workflows.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lower the chance of repeat falls and related injuries by getting at-risk older adults connected to prevention care after ED visits.
How similar studies have gone: The team already developed and validated the automated tool under prior funding, but large-scale real-world implementation in EDs is still relatively new and not widely proven.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Patterson, Brian W — University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Study coordinator: Patterson, Brian W
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.