Provider Education Utilizing Steadi to Prevent Falls in Community-Dwelling Adults

Abstract

Purpose: This quality improvement (QI) project aimed to assess whether implementing the CDC's Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths, and Injuries (STEADI) toolkit at MHC Healthcare could increase clinicians' intent to conduct fall risk screenings and educate geriatric patients on fall prevention. The focus was to enhance provider knowledge and confidence in using STEADI as a preventive tool during patient encounters.Background: Falls are the leading cause of injury and death in the geriatric population, with significant physical, emotional, and financial consequences. In the United States (US), falls among those aged 65 and older result in over 38,000 deaths and millions of emergency visits annually. Despite the availability of fall risk assessments, their use in primary care remains low. The STEADI toolkit provides an evidence-based framework to identify and mitigate fall risks, which can reduce injury rates and improve outcomes in the elderly. Methods: The project followed a pretest/posttest design with demographic surveys. Providers at MHC Healthcare participated in a virtual educational session on fall prevention and the STEADI toolkit. Pretest and posttest knowledge checks evaluated changes in understanding, intent to implement screening, and confidence in fall prevention strategies. Results: Among the 38 clinicians invited, seven completed both the pretest and posttest. Posttest results showed a 14% increase in knowledge about fall prevention and STEADI toolkit use, with 100% of participants recognizing it as a validated screening tool. Confidence in implementing the toolkit increased by 20%, and the intent to use fall prevention strategies in practice rose by 35%. Conclusions: The QI project demonstrated that educating clinicians on the STEADI toolkit improved their knowledge and confidence in conducting fall risk assessments for geriatric patients. Implementing the toolkit in primary care settings can reduce the risk of falls and improve health outcomes for older adults. The success of this project suggests a need for routine fall prevention education and ongoing integration of fall risk assessments into clinical practice.