Impact of the Problem on the Patient
The risk of falls is a significant problem that exists in healthcare today. It may be caused by a lot of factors, including the use of sedative medicines or antidepressants different diseases from low blood pressure to cancer. The risk of falls is dangerous for the patient due to many different reasons, from causing considerable physical damage such as bruises or broken bones to being a symptom of severe disease.
Impact of the Problem on the Organization
When speaking about the impact of falls and fall risks on hospitals, it is necessary to mention the fact that they are a significant problem for healthcare institutions. It happens so due to the fact that the patients can get injuries apart from their disease that may negatively influence the process of treatment. That is why it is necessary for the medical personnel to try to minimize the risks of falls among the patients.
The PICO components
Physical exercise is claimed to be an efficient way of preventing a lot of diseases, and there exist a lot of studies on its impact n patients with fall risks. It seems reasonable to check the hypothesis of its significance and positive impact on such patients. Hence, considering the details of the issue, it is possible to single out the following PICO components.
- P – patients at risk for falls;
- I – exercise;
- C – no exercise;
- O – reduced falls.
Evidence-Based Practice Question
Taking into account the PICO components established for the purposes of the present study, the EBP question may be formulated. It is: Does exercising reduce falls among patients at risk for falls compared to not exercising?
Research Article
Background Introduction
The authors state two objectives of their study. The first one is the determination of the effectiveness of the combination of home and group exercise programs on older adults with falls or fall risks compared with no exercise (Teng et al., 2019). The second one concerns exploring adherence and behavior changes in patients employed in the experiment.
Methodology
The methods used for the research are database searching that targeted identifying randomized controlled trials on the impact of exercise on the patients with fall risks.
Level of Evidence
The research analyzed eighteen trials, and their aims coincided with the aims of the present study. The evidence was also strong enough since the authors analyzed the results of 5,960 participants, and the number helps establish quite reliable statistics. The results of the study can be easily applied in practice.
Data Analysis
The data on study, design, participant characteristics, outcome measures, intervention details, and assessment time points were analyzed. The results of the research were studied by the reviewers, and all the discrepancies and uncertainties were discussed in order to clarify incomplete or misinterpreted information.
Ethical Considerations
The article does not present any ethical considerations since the interests of the authors do not violate any ethical norms and other people’s rights. The authors also do not have any inner disagreement that excludes any possible bias from their part.
Quality Rating
The quality of the research is high since the practice question is formulated explicitly and complies with the aims and objectives of the research. The evidence base the authors used is quite extensive, and it helps establish statistics on the research results. Clear results that confirm the positive impact of the exercise on patients with falls let boost the implementation of the study findings in practice.
Analysis of the Results / Conclusions
The study establishes that exercise contributes to better results and functional performance among patients with fall risks. However, it is still unclear whether it helps reduce the frequency of falls, and further research is required. Despite that fact, the results of the research enable the healthcare professionals to start implementation of exercise as a practice that helps decrease the falls risks.
Non-Research Article
Background Introduction
The article is aimed to confirm the fact that exercise is an effective measure to prevent falls as well as to establish what types of exercises may be considered the most working ones (Rodrigues et al., 2019).
Type of Evidence
The evidence used for the purposes of the research is the statistical data from several network meta-analyses on the efficacy of physical activity in reducing falls.
Level of Evidence
The level of evidence of the present research is high since the aims and research questions are defined and scientifically and statistically supported. The evidence is also reliable since the authors got the data from several meta-analyses on the topic. Thus, the results of the research may be applied in practice.
Quality Rating
The quality rating of the research is high since the evidence-based is reliable and extensive that contributes to more precise and trustworthy results of the study.
Author’s Recommendations
The authors support the idea of implementing exercise as a healthcare practice that reduces falls and their risks. However, they stress that their efficacy depends on the age of the patient, the type, and the intensity of the exercise. They recommend this method to use for patients who have falls risks.
Recommended Practice Change
Taking into account the information and results of the two analyzed studies, it is possible to single out three practical recommendations for the healthcare providers to follow. However, it does not mean that all doctors and medical institutions should follow them. All these guidelines are not compulsory, but their compliance will significantly benefit the health of the patients who have falls or their risks.
Key Stakeholders
Three key stakeholders have been established for the issue of fall risks. The first one is the implementation of physical exercise as a healthcare practice for the patients who are treated in hospitals. The next one concerns the promotion of a healthy lifestyle and physical exercise, in particular among the patients with fall risks, since exercise helps them remain healthy for a long time. The third stakeholder is explaining the significance of exercise for the patients with fall risks to the healthcare professionals since not all of them are aware of the impact of physical activity on the patients.
Barrier to Implementation
The most significant barrier to implementation of the exercise for the patients with the risk of falls concerns the fact that not all the patients are willing to perform exercise even for their own benefit. Thus, it may be difficult for the doctors to control the patients’ activities out of the hospital and make them do physical exercise on a daily basis.
Strategy to Overcome the Implementation Barrier
The only way to overcome the barrier mentioned above is to raise the patients’ awareness of the risks that fall possess. The healthcare providers may speak to them about the negative influence of the falls on people’s health as well as about the positive effects the exercise possesses.
Indicator to Measure the Outcome
The most significant indicator of measuring the outcomes is the reduced number of falls among the patients of a particular medical institution, as well as the number of patients with fall risks who exercise regularly. The raised level of patients’ awareness of the positive impact of exercise may also be considered a means of measuring the outcome.
References
Teng, B., Gomersall, S. R., Hatton, A., & Brauer, S. G. (2020). Combined group and home exercise programmes in community-dwelling falls-risk older adults: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Physiotherapy Research International : The Journal for Researchers and Clinicians in Physical Therapy, 25(3), e1839. Web.
Rodrigues, I. B., Ponzano, M., & Giangregorio, L. M. (2019). Practical tips for prescribing exercise for fall prevention. Osteoporosis International : A Journal Established as Result of Cooperation between the European Foundation for Osteoporosis and the National Osteoporosis Foundation of the USA, 30(10), 1953–1960. Web.