Evidence-Based Fall Prevention for Interdisciplinary Care Teams - 3 AOA Category 1-A Credits

Provided by an AOA-accredited Category 1 CME sponsor, this activity is eligible for AOA Category 1-A credit and includes instructor interaction; questions submitted by email will receive a response within 48 hours. Falls remain one of the most preventable drivers of morbidity and mortality in older adults, yet many care settings still rely on broad precautions that do not address the true physiologic and functional causes. This activity equips osteopathic physicians and interdisciplinary teams to manage fall risk using the CDC STEADI framework paired with a function-focused, clinically actionable approach that improves decision-making at the bedside and performance at the systems level. Participants will move beyond screening and learn to apply validated assessment tools, including the Timed Up and Go (TUG), Berg Balance Scale, and 4-Stage Balance Test, to distinguish static from dynamic instability and tailor interventions accordingly. The course covers high-yield medical evaluation and risk stratification, including differentiation of neurogenic orthostatic hypotension, appropriate use of the Canadian CT Head Rule, and evidence-informed deprescribing strategies. You will also learn integrative, multimodal methods to address biomechanical and sensorimotor contributors to falls, including posture and gait optimization, strength and balance programming, vestibular and cervicogenic dizziness considerations, and appropriate use of manual and movement-based therapies to restore stability and function. Because fall-related harm persists despite awareness, this training targets the real practice gaps: overreliance on generic precautions, missed autonomic contributors such as carotid sinus hypersensitivity, and lack of coordinated interdisciplinary leadership. By linking clinical reasoning to high-reliability processes such as Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and post-fall huddles, participants build the competence to lead targeted fall prevention programs that reduce repeat events, improve function, and protect patient safety.

This activity equips interdisciplinary teams to manage fall risk in older adults through the lens of the CDC STEADI initiative and a comprehensive, function-focused approach to care. Moving beyond basic precautions, participants will master validated tools like the TUG, Berg Balance Scale, and 4-Stage Balance Test to distinguish between static and dynamic instability.

Key training covers precise medical evaluation, including neurogenic orthostatic hypotension differentiation, the Canadian CT Head Rule, and evidence-based deprescribing (OPTIMISE/TONE). Uniquely, the course integrates integrative, multimodal strategies to address biomechanical and sensorimotor contributors to falls, including posture and gait optimization, strength and balance programming, vestibular and cervicogenic dizziness considerations, and appropriate use of manual and movement-based therapies to restore stability and function.

The educational need for this course is driven by the persistent high rates of fall-related morbidity and mortality ("The Long Lie") despite widespread awareness of fall risk. This activity closes the professional practice gap stemming from reliance on generic fall precautions rather than targeted physiological and functional interventions, under-recognition of treatable autonomic contributors such as carotid sinus hypersensitivity, and lack of coordinated interdisciplinary leadership. By linking clinical decision-making with systems-level strategies like Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and Post-Fall Huddles, this training builds competence to lead high-reliability fall prevention programs.