Practice and Impact of Using Fall Screening Tools in Emergency Medicine for Older Adults: A Scoping Review

Authors

Arushi Milind Chalke, Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Mel and Enid Zuckerberg College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.
Grace Marie Leito, Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Mel and Enid Zuckerberg College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.
Azmat Sidhu, Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Mel and Enid Zuckerberg College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.
Jean McClelland, Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Mel and Enid Zuckerberg College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.
Sheneil Agyemang, Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Mel and Enid Zuckerberg College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.
Joy Kinko Luzingu, Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Mel and Enid Zuckerberg College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.
Nimit Agarwal, Internal Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Banner University Medical Center Phoenix, Tucson, AZ, USA.
Leah Steckler, Emergency Medicine, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
Angela Wu, United States Acute Care Solutions, Canton, OH, USA.
Zhao Chen, Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Mel and Enid Zuckerberg College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

2-12-2025

Journal

Journal of applied gerontology : the official journal of the Southern Gerontological Society

DOI

10.1177/07334648251315279

Keywords

best practices; emergency medicine; fall screening tools; feasibility; functional assessments; older adults; screening questionnaires

Abstract

Falls are a leading cause of injury among older adults in the United States which leads to significant morbidity and mortality. Though screening for fall risk is an important preventative measure in the emergency department (ED), fall screening tools' feasibility and utility remain a challenge in EDs. This scoping review aimed to identify the fall screening tools, their psychometric properties, their best practices, and their impact in the ED among patients aged 60 years and older. In the 25 publications included in this review, 6 functional assessments and 10 screening questionnaires were used. Even though this review found several tools that are easy to apply and have good psychometric properties in the ED setting, there is a need for increased feasibility, support, and effectiveness. Consistent education and resource allocation remains a challenge for fall screening. Future research needs to focus on optimizing fall screening tools and practices to improve fall prevention measures in ED.

APA Citation

Chalke, Arushi Milind; Leito, Grace Marie; Sidhu, Azmat; McClelland, Jean; Agyemang, Sheneil; Luzingu, Joy Kinko; Agarwal, Nimit; Steckler, Leah; Wu, Angela; and Chen, Zhao, "Practice and Impact of Using Fall Screening Tools in Emergency Medicine for Older Adults: A Scoping Review" (2025). GW Authored Works. Paper 6594.
https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/gwhpubs/6594

Department

Emergency Medicine