Impact of the introduction of falls risk assessment toolkit on falls prevention and psychotropic medicines’ utilisation in Walsall: an interrupted time series analysis

Objective To determine the impact of the introduction of a falls risk assessment toolkit (FRAT) in a UK medical centre on the number and cost of non-elective admissions for falls and psychotropic medication utilisation.Design Interrupted time series analysis quantifying the number and cost of non-el...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Mohammed Ibrahim Aladul, Stephen Robert Chapman, Bharat Patel
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2021-08-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/8/e039649.full
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1846136301626064896
author Mohammed Ibrahim Aladul
Stephen Robert Chapman
Bharat Patel
author_facet Mohammed Ibrahim Aladul
Stephen Robert Chapman
Bharat Patel
author_sort Mohammed Ibrahim Aladul
collection DOAJ
description Objective To determine the impact of the introduction of a falls risk assessment toolkit (FRAT) in a UK medical centre on the number and cost of non-elective admissions for falls and psychotropic medication utilisation.Design Interrupted time series analysis quantifying the number and cost of non-elective admissions for falls and primary care use data for Rushall Medical Centre before and after the implementation of FRAT at July 2017.Setting Data on the monthly number and cost of non-elective admissions for falls and number of referrals and assessment to the falls service were provided by Walsall Clinical Commissioning Group. Primary care prescribing cost and volume data for Rushall Medical Centre was derived from the Openprescribing.net website for prescriptions dispensed between April 2015 and November 2018.Primary and secondary outcome measures The number and cost of non-elective admissions for falls and number of referrals and assessment to the falls service, and the volume of utilisation of psychotropic medicines.Results Following the implementation of FRAT at Rushall Medical Centre in July 2017, the number of non-elective admissions for falls decreased at a rate of 0.414 admissions per month (p<0.033, 95% CI –0.796 to –0.032). The utilisation of psychotropic medications (alimemazine, citalopram, escitalopram, fluoxetine, mirtazapine, olanzapine and risperidone) decreased. The expenditure on psychotropic medications prescribed/used at Rushall Medical Centre decreased by at least £986 per month (p<0.001, 95% CI –2067 to –986).Conclusions The implementation of FRAT at Rushall Medical Centre was associated with a reduction in the number of non-elective admissions for falls. Assessment of these patients together with deprescribing of psychotropic medications resulted in a reduction in the number of non-elective admissions for falls and associated costs.
format Article
id doaj-art-1b14afd077ea410785d0e8e5abed17c7
institution Kabale University
issn 2044-6055
language English
publishDate 2021-08-01
publisher BMJ Publishing Group
record_format Article
series BMJ Open
spelling doaj-art-1b14afd077ea410785d0e8e5abed17c72024-12-09T07:20:07ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552021-08-0111810.1136/bmjopen-2020-039649Impact of the introduction of falls risk assessment toolkit on falls prevention and psychotropic medicines’ utilisation in Walsall: an interrupted time series analysisMohammed Ibrahim Aladul0Stephen Robert Chapman1Bharat Patel2Pharmacy College, Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Mosul, Mosul, IraqSchool of Pharmacy and Bioengineering, Keele University, Stoke-on-Trent, UKRushall Medical Centre, Walsall, UKObjective To determine the impact of the introduction of a falls risk assessment toolkit (FRAT) in a UK medical centre on the number and cost of non-elective admissions for falls and psychotropic medication utilisation.Design Interrupted time series analysis quantifying the number and cost of non-elective admissions for falls and primary care use data for Rushall Medical Centre before and after the implementation of FRAT at July 2017.Setting Data on the monthly number and cost of non-elective admissions for falls and number of referrals and assessment to the falls service were provided by Walsall Clinical Commissioning Group. Primary care prescribing cost and volume data for Rushall Medical Centre was derived from the Openprescribing.net website for prescriptions dispensed between April 2015 and November 2018.Primary and secondary outcome measures The number and cost of non-elective admissions for falls and number of referrals and assessment to the falls service, and the volume of utilisation of psychotropic medicines.Results Following the implementation of FRAT at Rushall Medical Centre in July 2017, the number of non-elective admissions for falls decreased at a rate of 0.414 admissions per month (p<0.033, 95% CI –0.796 to –0.032). The utilisation of psychotropic medications (alimemazine, citalopram, escitalopram, fluoxetine, mirtazapine, olanzapine and risperidone) decreased. The expenditure on psychotropic medications prescribed/used at Rushall Medical Centre decreased by at least £986 per month (p<0.001, 95% CI –2067 to –986).Conclusions The implementation of FRAT at Rushall Medical Centre was associated with a reduction in the number of non-elective admissions for falls. Assessment of these patients together with deprescribing of psychotropic medications resulted in a reduction in the number of non-elective admissions for falls and associated costs.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/8/e039649.full
spellingShingle Mohammed Ibrahim Aladul
Stephen Robert Chapman
Bharat Patel
Impact of the introduction of falls risk assessment toolkit on falls prevention and psychotropic medicines’ utilisation in Walsall: an interrupted time series analysis
BMJ Open
title Impact of the introduction of falls risk assessment toolkit on falls prevention and psychotropic medicines’ utilisation in Walsall: an interrupted time series analysis
title_full Impact of the introduction of falls risk assessment toolkit on falls prevention and psychotropic medicines’ utilisation in Walsall: an interrupted time series analysis
title_fullStr Impact of the introduction of falls risk assessment toolkit on falls prevention and psychotropic medicines’ utilisation in Walsall: an interrupted time series analysis
title_full_unstemmed Impact of the introduction of falls risk assessment toolkit on falls prevention and psychotropic medicines’ utilisation in Walsall: an interrupted time series analysis
title_short Impact of the introduction of falls risk assessment toolkit on falls prevention and psychotropic medicines’ utilisation in Walsall: an interrupted time series analysis
title_sort impact of the introduction of falls risk assessment toolkit on falls prevention and psychotropic medicines utilisation in walsall an interrupted time series analysis
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/8/e039649.full
work_keys_str_mv AT mohammedibrahimaladul impactoftheintroductionoffallsriskassessmenttoolkitonfallspreventionandpsychotropicmedicinesutilisationinwalsallaninterruptedtimeseriesanalysis
AT stephenrobertchapman impactoftheintroductionoffallsriskassessmenttoolkitonfallspreventionandpsychotropicmedicinesutilisationinwalsallaninterruptedtimeseriesanalysis
AT bharatpatel impactoftheintroductionoffallsriskassessmenttoolkitonfallspreventionandpsychotropicmedicinesutilisationinwalsallaninterruptedtimeseriesanalysis