Tailored Patient Education for Preventing Falls after Hospital Discharge

Multimedia falls prevention education with between 2 and 4 individual health professional follow-up sessions for each participant in the week prior to hospital discharge. Delivered by physiotherapist who is the educator. Each participant in the intervention group to receive education individually by being shown a DVD and also being given written materials with workbook. The DVD and written materials contain information about falls prevention in the post discharge period, including information about the risk factors for older adults for falls, falls interventions for older adults, addressing individual risk factors, vision for falls prevention, home modifications, use of gait aids, exercise for falls prevention, benefits of exercise for strength and balance, problems encountered that could lead to falls in the post discharge period. Materials are discussed with educator, with participants assisted to develop goals for discharge. The education is based on evidence for falls prevention in the post discharge period. Participant receives individual tailored discussion and feedback that allows them to develop goals and strategies depending on their falls risk and individual medical conditions. Participants are asked to read the workbook which varies according to the reading ability of the participant. An estimated time is 15 minutes. participants are allowed to rewatch the DVD if they wish. participants are encouraged to write and make notes in their workbook and if unable to write are assisted to make notes that are relevant to their situation. This will vary between participants but the total median time is described below. this has been determined by the piloting of the intervention. Between 2 and 4 meetings will occur and most usually one meeting per day. Each meeting time is estimated to be a maximum of 15 minutes and may range from 10 to 25 minutes. The number of intervention sessions and the time for each session and the total amount of intervention time is determined by clinician assessment of participant. An approximate median time of 45 minutes per patient is estimated. No group activities. Once per month for three months after participants leave hospital those participants in the intervention group receive a coaching telephone call from the educator (the same physiotherapist), which uses active learning principles and health behaviour change principles to reinforce and personalise the contents of the education for the participant. The time estimated for all telephone calls is 45 minutes. the time for each telephone call and the total time for all telephone calls is determined by the educator when they speak with the participant according to the participants response to the educator and questions that the participant may have.