Automated ED screening and referral to prevent future falls in older adults
Preventing Future Falls in Older Adult ED Patients: Evaluating the Implementation and Effectiveness of a Novel Automated Screening and Referral Intervention
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 ID | NIH-11146452 on NIH RePORTER |
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.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: 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.
Not a fit: 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.
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 performed: 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
Madison, United States
- University of Wisconsin-Madison — Madison, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Patterson, Brian W — University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Study coordinator: Patterson, Brian W
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 below.