Podiatry intervention versus usual care to prevent falls in care homes: pilot randomised controlled trial (the PIRFECT study).

ABSTRACT:

Background

Common foot problems are independent risk factors for falls in older people. There is evidence that podiatry can prevent falls in community-dwelling populations. The feasibility of implementing a podiatry intervention and trial in the care home population is unknown. To inform a potential future definitive trial, we performed a pilot randomised controlled trial to assess: (i) the feasibility of a trial of a podiatry intervention to reduce care home falls, and (ii) the potential direction and magnitude of the effect of the intervention in terms of number of falls in care home residents.

Methods

Informed by Medical Research Council guidance on developing and evaluating complex interventions, we conducted a single blind, pilot randomised controlled trial in six care

SUBMITTER: Wylie G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5508629 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature