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A number of studies have evaluated ways to prevent falls and related injuries in acute care hospitals and nursing homes; these reviewers performed a meta-analysis.
The reviewers analyzed 43 studies, including 16 individually randomized controlled trials and 12 cluster randomized trials. Of the interventions tested, the most successful were multifaceted and included components such as risk factor assessment, care planning, physical environment changes, medication review, hip protectors, removal of physical restraints, and exercise. In hospital settings, multifaceted interventions significantly reduced the risk for falls per person-year (risk ratio, 0.82), but the effects on fractures and on the number of people who fell were not significant. …