Home based, tailored intervention to reduce rate of falls after stroke (FAST): randomised trial

To investigate the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary, home based, tailored intervention to reduce falls after stroke.

Two armed, randomised trial.

Three states in Australia.

People within 5 years of stroke, aged >50 years, discharged from formal rehabilitation to the community, and able to walk 10 m across flat ground with or without an aid. Those with moderate-to-severe receptive aphasia or walking speed >1.4 m/s without falls in the previous year were excluded.

Over 6 months, the experimental group received a habit forming functional exercise, home fall hazard reduction, and goal directed community mobility coaching; the control group received usual care. Physiotherapist and occupational therapist dyadic teams worked collaboratively to deliver the intervention.

The primary outcome was rate of falls over 12 months. Secondary outcomes were proportion of participants having a fall, community participation, self-efficacy, balance, mobility, physical activity, activities of daily living, depression, and health related quality of life.

Between August 2019 and December 2023, 370 people with stroke were enrolled. At 12 months, a significant between group difference was seen in the rate of falls in favour of the experimental group, representing a 33% reduction in falls (incidence rate ratio 0.67, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.48 to 0.94; P=0.02). No significant between group difference was seen in the number of participants having a fall (absolute risk reduction 0.03, 95% CI -0.07 to 0.13; P=0.52). The main between group differences in favour of the experimental group were in community participation (Late Life Function and Disability Instrument disability limitation: mean difference 3% (95% CI 1% to 6%); P=0.02), self-efficacy (mean difference 0.6 (0.2 to 1.0); P=0.004), mobility (fast walking speed: mean difference 0.13 (0.06 to 0.19) m/s (P<0.001); preferred walking speed: 0.06 (0.02 to 0.10) m/s (P=0.02)), and balance (Step Test: mean difference 0.06 (0.01 to 0.12) steps/s; P=0.03).

A tailored intervention prevented falls in community dwelling, ambulatory people with stroke. The decrease in the rate of falls was underpinned by clinically worthwhile improvements in self-efficacy, mobility, community participation, and balance.

Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12619001114134.