Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35985777›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2022

Enhancing referral processes within an integrated fall prevention pathway for older people: a mixed-methods study.

Caragh Flannery, Rebecca Dennehy, Fiona Riordan, Finola Cronin, Eileen Moriarty, Spencer Turvey, Kieran O'Connor, Patrick Barry, Agnes Jonsson, Eoin Duggan and 4 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
1.7field-weighted citation impact, top 14% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors at 6 institutions in 2 countries.

Caragh FlannerySchool of Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland cflannery@ucc.ie.ORCID 0000-0002-6089-9906
Rebecca DennehySchool of Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
Fiona RiordanSchool of Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.ORCID 0000-0003-2572-4729
Finola CroninCorks Falls Prevention Service, Health Service Executive, Naas, Ireland.
Eileen MoriartySchool of Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
Spencer TurveyCork Kerry Community Healthcare, Health Service Executive, Naas, Ireland.
Kieran O'ConnorGeriatric Medicine, Mercy University Hospital, Cork, Ireland.
Patrick BarryAcute Medicine and Geriatric Medicine, Cork University Hospital Group, Cork, Ireland.
Agnes JonssonSt Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
Eoin DugganGeriatric Medicine, Mercy University Hospital, Cork, Ireland.ORCID 0000-0001-8490-2076
Liz O'SullivanCork Kerry Community Healthcare HSE South, Health Service Executive, Dublin, Ireland.
Éilis O'ReillySchool of Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
Sarah-Jo SinnottNon-Communicable Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Sheena McHughSchool of Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
University College Cork · IEHealth Service Executive · IEMercy University Hospital · IECork University Hospital · IELondon School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine · GBSt. Vincent's University Hospital · IE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesMultifactorial interventions, which involve assessing an individual's risk of falling and providing treatment or onward referral, require coordination across settings. Using a mixed-methods design, we aimed to develop a process map to examine onward referral pathways following falls risk assessment in primary care.

settingPrimary care fall risk assessment clinics in the South of Ireland.

participantsFocus groups using participatory mapping techniques with primary care staff (public health nurses (PHNs), physiotherapists (PT),and occupational therapists (OT)) were conducted to plot the processes and onward referral pathways at each clinic (n=5).

methodsFocus groups were analysed in NVivo V.12 using inductive thematic analysis. Routine administrative data from January to March 2018 included details of client referrals, assessments and demographics sourced from referral and assessment forms. Data were analysed in Stata V.12 to estimate the number, origin and focus of onward referrals and whether older adults received follow-up interventions. Quantitative and qualitative data were analysed separately and integrated to produce a map of the service.

resultsNine staff participated in three focus groups and one interview (PHN n=2; OT n=4; PT n=3). 85 assessments were completed at five clinics (female n=69, 81.2%, average age 77). The average number of risk factors was 5.4 out of a maximum of 10. Following assessment, clients received an average of three onward referrals. Only one-third of referrals (n=135/201, 33%) had data available on intervention receipt. Primary care staff identified variations in how formally onward referrals were managed and barriers, including a lack of client information, inappropriate referral and a lack of data management support.

conclusionChallenges to onward referral manifest early in an integrated care pathway, such as clients with multiple risk factors sent for initial assessment and the lack of an integrated IT system to share information across settings.

Indexed as

Accidental FallsPhysical TherapistsAgedFemaleFocus GroupsHumansOccupational TherapistsReferral and ConsultationPRIMARY CAREPUBLIC HEALTHQUALITATIVE RESEARCHQuality in health care

Identifiers

PMID35985777
PMCPMC9396121
OpenAlexW4293780299

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.