Screening ED Falls Patients

We have discussed the risk factors of falls, but what is the best way to screen these patients in the ED, assess their risk for falling, and provide meaningful interventions to prevent the next fall?

This is the million-dollar question that many geriatric researchers have been trying to answer. Like all things geriatric, given that the cause of the event is multifactorial, the solution is multifaceted—with buy-in from several different groups, including the ED doctors, staff, case management, PT, PCP, and outpatient sources needed.

There are a number of screening tools available that we will discuss in the following pages.