Physical Therapy After a Fall May Help Reduce Emergency Department Revisits

A study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society determined older adults receiving physical therapy (PT) services while in the emergency department (ED) for a fall experienced fewer fall-related repeat visits, reports EurekAlert . The researchers analyzed Medicare claims data to examine differences in 30-day and 60-day ED repeat visit rates among seniors who visited the ED for a fall and underwent PT there, and compared them to older adults who did not receive PT services in the ED following a fall. ED-based PT services include getting information, diagnosis, and referral for follow-up PT care after discharge. Receiving PT services in the ED during an initial visit for a fall was associated with a lower chance of revisiting ED for another fall within 30 and 60 days. Geriatric care experts have previously recommended screening senior ED visitors for high fall risk and referring them, when appropriate, to physical therapists or other healthcare team members. However, the researchers say older adults who go to the ED for a fall seldom receive the kind of examination and referral for PT services they require. They also suggest EDs could play a role in reducing fall-related ED revisits by primarily connecting people treated for a fall to appropriate follow-up care. "In our sample, only 3.2 percent of older adults who had a fall-related ED visit received PT services during that visit," the team notes.