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Testing the reliability of the Fall Risk Screening Tool in an elderly ambulatory population
Susan J Fielding1, Michael McKay, Kristiina Hyrkas
1Internal Medicine Clinic, Maine Medical Center, Portland, ME, USA.
Aim:
To identify and test the reliability of a fall risk screening tool in an ambulatory outpatient clinic.
Background:
The Fall Risk Screening Tool (Albert Lea Medical Center, MN, USA) was scripted for an interview format.
Method:
Two interviewers separately screened a convenience sample of 111 patients (age ≥ 65 years) in an ambulatory outpatient clinic in a northeastern US city.
Result:
The interviewers' scoring of fall risk categories was similar. There was good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.834-0.889) and inter-rater reliability [intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) = 0.824-0.881] for total, Risk Factor and Client's Health Status subscales. The Physical Environment scores indicated acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.742) and adequate reliability (ICC = 0.688). Two Physical Environment items (furniture and medical equipment condition) had low reliabilities [Kappa (K) = 0.323, P = 0.08; K = -0.078, P = 0.648), respectively.
Conclusion:
The scripted Fall Risk Screening Tool demonstrated good reliability in this sample. Rewording two Physical Environment items will be considered.
Implications For Nursing Management:
A reliable instrument such as the scripted Fall Risk Screening Tool provides a standardised assessment for identifying high fall risk patients. This tool is especially useful because it assesses personal, behavioural and environmental factors specific to community-dwelling patients; the interview format also facilitates patient-provider interaction.
