Effect of Physiotherapy in Patients Presenting to the Emergency Department After a Fall (EPAC-I)

University Hospital Basel

Status: Completed

Conditions: Fear of Falling

Treatments: Other: physiotherapeutic intervention

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05156944

2021-02165 am21Bingisser2;

Details and patient eligibility

About

The aim of this monocentric, block-randomized, controlled, open-label, parallel-group study is to assess whether patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with a fall within the past 7 days would benefit from a physiotherapy intervention, as compared to patients without physiotherapy intervention at the time of ED presentation. Primary objective of this study is to assess "fear of falling" 7 days after ED presentation with versus without a physiotherapy intervention.

Enrollment: 104 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 65+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Written informed consent
• Age ≥65
• History of falls within the last 7 days
• Presentation to the ED of the University Hospital Basel

Exclusion criteria

• Inpatient disposition after ED work-up
• Immobilizing fractures of the lower extremities
• Inability or contraindications to undergo the investigated intervention or follow the study procedures, e.g. due to certain neurological disorders (such as parkinsonism, hemiplegia, severe multiple sclerosis), language problems, psychological disorders, cognitive impairment
• Prior enrolment in this trial

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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104 participants in 2 patient groups

intervention group

Experimental group

Description:

The study intervention is a brief physiotherapeutic assessment, a brief information on the expected course of the condition, and a brief instruction on self-management, including two exercises for daily self-guided therapy.

Treatment:

Other: physiotherapeutic intervention

control group

No Intervention group

Description:

The control group will receive written information on the expected course of the condition, written instructions on self-management and written instructions on exercises for daily self-guided therapy.