HealthCare Partners Gets Falling Grant

Torrance-based HealthCare Partners is one of 10 providers nationwide participating in an initiative to reduce falls among elderly patients.

The initiative, organized by the National Institute of Health's aging division and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, will spend at least $30 million over the next five years to try and reduce the number of falls among older patients. HealthCare Partners, which was selected in part because it has gathered extensive patient fall data through its electronic medical records system, is the only participant from California.

“Studies have shown that each year, one out of every three adults aged 65 and older will fall, and about a third of those falls will lead to serious long-term injury and life-changing consequences,” said Jeremy Rich, M.D., director of HealthCare Partners' Institute for Applied Research and Education. “We’re eager to begin working with patients, caregivers, providers, researchers and other health systems to develop methods of implementation that can be disseminated nationally.”

Falling among elderly Americans has become a serious healthcare crisis. A third of Americans over the age of 65 fall each year, and a third of those sustain some form of injury, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 22,000 Americans die from serious injuries sustained from falls every year. Those 75 years of age or older are particularly susceptible to serious healthcare issues as a result of falls, as they are five times more likely to be admitted to a long-term care facility than younger patients who fall.

However, as the NIH noted in its statement announcing the grant awards, “attempts to change physician behavior about falls through conventional medical education channels and other methods have not been very effective. Patients and other stakeholders generally have not been partners in the research process and, as a result, not fully engaged.”

The study will enroll about 6,000 adults over the age of 75 nationwide. About 675 will be patients in HealthCare Partners' provider network. Rich said enrollments would begin in the second year of the study after collaborating with the other study participants to draw up specific practices and to ensure the diversity of the participating patients.

HealthCare Partners will assist its patient population in two ways: By issuing patients literature about fall prevention, or creating an individual care plan tailored to the patient's physical condition, housing, and other variable specific to their life situation.

According to the CDC, that may include review of their medicines to determine if any cause side effects such as dizziness, or having their eyes checked on a regular basis to make sure their vision is as clear as possible, although that has yet to be determined for this initiative.

Rich said that patients would be monitored by HealthCare Partners’ nurse managers, in close consultation with physicians, physical therapists, occupational therapists and other caregivers. A caregiver committee consisting of physicians, nurses, scientists and even patients would assist in developing developing care guidelines.

“The problems we face are complex and therefore require thoughtful and complex solutions. I am hopeful this initiative will greatly improve the lives of those most at risk for falls,” said NIH Director Francis S. Collins, M.D.

Rich would not disclose how much of the $30 million HealthCare Partners will receive over the course of the initiative.