An economic evaluation of community and residential aged care falls prevention strategies in NSW.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of Tai Chi as a falls prevention strategy for older adults.
Results Summary
Tai Chi was found to be the most cost-effective falls prevention strategy for community-dwelling older people, with strong evidence supporting its efficacy. Other interventions like cataract surgery and psychotropic medication withdrawal were also cost-effective but had less certain effectiveness due to limited trials.
Population
People aged 65 years and over living in the community and in residential aged-care facilities.
Effective Dosage
Not available
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tai Chi | decrease | falls prevention | community-dwelling older people | - | most cost-effective | #1 |
Expedited cataract surgery | decrease | falls prevention | community-dwelling older people | - | cost-effective | #2 |
Psychotropic medication withdrawal | decrease | falls prevention | community-dwelling older people | - | cost-effective | #3 |
Medication review | decrease | falls prevention | residential aged-care facilities | - | most cost-effective | #4 |
Vitamin D supplementation | decrease | falls prevention | residential aged-care facilities | - | most cost-effective | #5 |
AIM: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of strategies designed to prevent falls amongst people aged 65 years and over living in the community and in residential aged-care facilities. METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature was conducted. The pooled fall rate ratio was used in a decision analytic model that combined a Markov model and decision tree to estimate the costs and outcomes of potential interventions and/or strategies. The resulting cost per quality-adjusted life year was estimated. RESULTS: The most cost-effective falls prevention strategy in community-dwelling older people was Tai Chi. Expedited cataract surgery and psychotropic medication withdrawal were also found to be cost-effective; however, the effectiveness of these interventions is less certain due to small numbers of trials and participants. The most cost-effective falls prevention strategies in residential aged-care facilities were medication review and vitamin D supplementation.