Screening for Falls: A Prospective Pilot Study for the Audiology Clinic

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine if clinical measures that audiologists may already be using or are able to collect on a routine basis are useful in screening for future falls. Method: This prospective cohort study protocol included 20 community-dwelling participants aged 60 years or older who completed case history questions, pure-tone and speech audiometry, common questionnaires, the Timed Up and Go test, and a prospective 6-month falls diary to determine which measures were correlated with the number of prospective 6-month falls. Results: Five participants (25%) fell in the 6 months after the research session. Significant correlations were noted between prospective falls and age, home safety modifications, engagement in fall prevention activities, and history of falls in the last 12 months. Conclusion: Straightforward case history questions that could be part of a routine audiologic evaluation, such as fall history in the previous year, are significantly correlated with prospective number of falls in 6 months. These questions could help to identify audiology patients who may benefit from further fall risk assessment.