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Exercise and Fall Prevention: Narrowing the Research‐to‐Practice Gap and Enhancing Integration of Clinical and Community Practice
Author(s) -
Li Fuzhong,
Eckstrom Elizabeth,
Harmer Peter,
Fitzgerald Kathleen,
Voit Jan,
Cameron Kathleen A.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/jgs.13925
Subject(s) - medicine , psychological intervention , evidence based practice , randomized controlled trial , health care , public health , transferability , intervention (counseling) , nursing , clinical trial , clinical practice , evidence based medicine , alternative medicine , gerontology , incentive , surgery , pathology , microeconomics , economics , economic growth
Falls in older adults are a global public health crisis, but mounting evidence from randomized controlled trials shows that falls can be reduced through exercise. Public health authorities and healthcare professionals endorse the use of evidence‐based, exercise‐focused fall interventions, but there are major obstacles to translating and disseminating research findings into healthcare practice, including lack of evidence of the transferability of efficacy trial results to clinical and community settings, insufficient local expertise to roll out community exercise programs, and inadequate infrastructure to integrate evidence‐based programs into clinical and community practice. The practical solutions highlighted in this article can be used to address these evidence‐to‐practice challenges. Falls and their associated healthcare costs can be reduced by better integrating research on exercise intervention into clinical practice and community programs.