Falls risk perception measures in hospital: a COSMIN systematic review

Journal of Patient-Reported Outcomes, 2023 · DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s41687-023-00603-w · Published: June 4, 2023

Simple Explanation

Falls in hospitals are a big problem, leading to health issues and costing money. This study looks at ways to measure how patients feel about their risk of falling. The researchers used a special set of guidelines (COSMIN) to check how good these measurement tools are. They wanted to see if the tools are accurate, easy to use, and helpful for preventing falls. The review identifies which tools are best for understanding what patients think about their fall risk. This can help doctors and nurses create better fall prevention plans that involve the patient.

Study Duration

20 years (2002-2022)

Participants

3180 hospital inpatients (across included studies), average age 70.35 years

Evidence Level

Systematic Review

Key Findings

1
Two PROMs received Class A recommendations: the Falls Risk Perception Questionnaire (FRPQ) and the Spinal Cord Injury-Falls Concern Scale (SCI-FCS).
2
Thirteen PROMs received Class B recommendations, indicating the need for further validation studies to assess their quality.
3
Content validity was often rated as indeterminate due to a lack of clarity on whether patients were consulted during PROM development.

Research Summary

This COSMIN systematic review evaluated falls-risk perception measures in an inpatient setting. The review categorized 20 PROMs according to five fall-related constructs and found that only two PROMs received a Class A recommendation. The review highlights the need to include populations of interest as stakeholders in PROM development to ascertain sufficient content validity of the intended construct.

Practical Implications

Improved PROM Selection

Clinicians can use the review to select appropriate falls risk perception measures based on their psychometric properties and target population.

Targeted Fall Prevention Strategies

Understanding patients' perspectives on fall risk can lead to more effective and personalized fall prevention plans.

Future Research Directions

The review identifies PROMs that require further validation and highlights the importance of patient involvement in PROM development.

Study Limitations

1
The review only included studies published in English, potentially limiting the findings.
2
The 20-year date range of the literature search may introduce limitations, although some PROMs were developed before 2002.
3
The subjective nature of the COSMIN process relies on the authors' ability to review and appraise the quality of the PROMs.

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