FALLS DATA COLLECTION METHODS FROM A FALL PREVENTION TRIAL IN OLDER WOMEN CANCER SURVIVORS

Abstract

Women with cancer are more likely to fall than women without cancer placing them at high risk of fall-related fractures, other injuries and disabilities. Determining the efficacy of fall prevention programs depends upon reliable self-reporting of falls. The purpose of this paper is to describe the approach used to collect falls as a primary endpoint of a 12-month fall prevention exercise trial in older women cancer survivors. GET FIT (Group Exercise Training for Functional Improvement after Treatment) was a randomized controlled trial of women cancer survivors aged 50–75 years who had completed chemotherapy and were randomized into one of three exercise groups: strength training, tai chi, or seated stretching (control). We captured falls and injurious falls through monthly and quarterly self-report. Women with an e-mail address received surveys electronically via REDCap and women without one completed the survey by phone, postcard, or in exercise class. Out of 442 randomized women, 96% (n=422) reported having an e-mail. Women with an email address were more likely to be white race (p<0.01) and married/partnered (p<0.01). On average, 92% of participants with an e-mail completed the monthly survey electronically with less than 1% missing a monthly survey at any given month. Women without an e-mail took significantly more time to respond compared to women with an email (5 ± 4 days vs. 2 ± 4 days; p=0.003). Electronic data capture of self-report falls from older cancer survivors is feasible and efficient and may result in less recall error due to a shorter time to completion.