Early experience of a fall and fracture prevention clinic at Mayo General Hospital

Abstract

Falls in the elderly are a significant public health problem. Previous studies have shown that most falls are multifactorial and an efficacious way of reducing the risk of falling is provided by a falls clinic. A falls clinic runs every 2 weeks at Mayo General Hospital; we report on the activity of this clinic during its first year. We performed a chart review and collected the following data. Thirty-seven patients attended the clinic. All patients were seen by a physiotherapist, occupational therapist, physician and pharmacist. Six patients had a further fall within a 12-month period; 2 of these suffered a further fracture. No patients were readmitted to hospital. The results show a reduction in fall occurrence from previously reported rates in this at-risk population. We find the falls clinic a convenient and effective method of managing elderly people who are at increased risk of falling.