Perceptions of primary health staff about falls prevention in primary care settings in the west of Ireland

Abstract

Introduction Primary care is an emerging area of practice for allied health practitioners. The effective integration of primary care services provided by different professions using diverse funding sources is challenging. Ireland has implemented a primary care strategy and set up primary care teams to address this. Acknowledging the ageing population in the community, fall prevention needs to be a core function of these services. This study aimed to explore the perceptions of general practitioners, occupational therapists and physiotherapists working in the primary care setting about falls prevention in their practice. Method Three general practitioners, five occupational therapists and three physiotherapists were interviewed from primary care teams in the counties of Limerick, Clare and North Tipperary, Ireland. Interviews were in person or by telephone and audiotaped, transcribed and analysed thematically. Results Two key themes emerged from the data: the level of primary care team integration and the nature of community fall prevention, linked by referral mechanisms. Conclusion Providing comprehensive falls prevention services in the primary care context is complex. Integrated processes and pathways in primary care teams are needed to identify older people at risk of falls and to engage a whole of primary care approach to fall prevention.