A qualitative study of the determinants of adherence to NICE falls guideline in managing older fallers attending an emergency department

摘要

BackgroundThe National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) 2004 Falls guideline was developed to improve the assessment and management of falls and prevention of future falls. However, adherence to the guideline can be poor. As emergency departments (EDs) are usually consulted by older adults (aged 65 and over) who experience a fall, they provide a setting in which assessments can be conducted or referrals made to more appropriate settings.The objective of this study was to investigate how falls are managed in EDs, reasons why guideline recommendations are not always followed, and what happens instead.