Agencies seek strategies for nationwide falls management study

The National Institute on Aging (NIA) is designing a massive, multifaceted clinical trial to study ways to minimize falls and fall-related injuries, and the agency is seeking ideas on the most effective types of measurements to use in the trial.

The trial is the next step in the Falls Injuries Prevention Partnership, established in June between the NIA and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). PCORI has earmarked up to $30 million to fund the trial. The NIA will administer the application process.

Those who would like to contribute a proposal application should describe the proposed methods for assessing a falls management strategy, the ways to identify high-risk people and assess their risk factors and the ways to intervene and address the risks. Applications also must describe how various caregivers, family members and long-term care professionals might participate in the trial, and how the study data will be shared among the participants.

“Serious injuries from falls, such as broken bones or traumatic brain injury, are a major reason for the loss of independence among older people,” said Richard J. Hodes, MD, director of the NIA, in the funding announcement. “This is a significant public health problem, greatly affecting older adults and their families as well as the healthcare system. The clinical trial envisioned here seeks to test a comprehensive and practical approach that can make real progress in reducing these injuries.”

The National Institute of Health, parent agency of the NIA, offers detailed information on the application/trial proposal process on its website. Applications are due Nov. 13.

Related story: $30 million in funding earmarked for falls prevention study

Pamela Tabar

Pamela Tabar was editor-in-chief of I Advance Senior Care from 2013-2018. She has worked as a writer and editor for healthcare business media since 1998, including as News Editor of Healthcare Informatics. She has a master’s degree in journalism from Kent State University and a master’s degree in English from the University of York, England.