Abstract
Background: Falls are recognized globally as a major public health problem. Although the elderly are the most affected population, it should be noted that the pediatric population is also very susceptible to the risk of falling. The fall risk approach is the assessment tool. There are different types of tools used in both clinical and territorial settings. Material and methods: In the month of January 2021, a literature search was undertaken of MEDLINE, CINHAL and The Cochrane Database, adopting as limits: last 10 years, abstract available, and English and Italian language. The search terms used were “Accidental Falls” AND “Risk Assessment” and “Fall Risk Assessment Tool” or “Fall Risk Assessment Tools”. Results: From the 115 selected articles, 38 different fall risk assessment tools were identified, divided into two groups: the first with the main tools present in the literature, and the second represented by tools of some specific areas, of lesser use and with less supporting literature. Most of these articles are prospective cohort or cross-sectional studies. All articles focus on presenting, creating or validating fall risk assessment tools. Conclusion: Due to the multidimensional nature of falling risk, there is no “ideal” tool that can be used in any context or that performs a perfect risk assessment. For this reason, a simultaneous application of multiple tools is recommended, and a direct and in-depth analysis by the healthcare professional is essential.
Highlights
The phenomenon of falls is recognized globally as a major public health problem.Falling down is globally the number-one health problem, and a common problem of evaluation by healthcare professionals
Falls involve elderly people for two main reasons: (1) the decrease of functional reserves that are used to maintain the orthostatic position; (2) the following vulnerabilities or pathologies caused by factors that occur simultaneously, pathological processes, and adverse pharmacological incentives
This review aims to analyze different fall risk assessment tools present in the literature with the aim of supporting healthcare professionals in choosing the tool best suited to their operational context and the characteristics of the patients
Summary
The phenomenon of falls is recognized globally as a major public health problem.Falling down is globally the number-one health problem, and a common problem of evaluation by healthcare professionals. Results: From the 115 selected articles, 38 different fall risk assessment tools were identified, divided into two groups: the first with the main tools present in the literature, and the second represented by tools of some specific areas, of lesser use and with less supporting literature. Most of these articles are prospective cohort or cross-sectional studies. Conclusion: Due to the multidimensional nature of falling risk, there is no “ideal” tool that can be used in any context or that performs a perfect risk assessment For this reason, a simultaneous application of multiple tools is recommended, and a direct and in-depth analysis by the healthcare professional is essential
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