Online Program

295611
Fall prevention: A view from the CDC


Monday, November 4, 2013 : 12:30 p.m. - 12:40 p.m.

David Sugerman, MD, MPH, Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, GA
Unintentional falls among persons aged 65 years and older are an important public health issue, associated with significant mortality and morbidity. About one third of older adults fall annually and, although many fall outcomes are minor, between 10% and 20% cause serious injuries such as traumatic brain injury, contusions, and fractures. CDC's Injury Center is working to prevent injuries and fatalities due to older adult falls. The public health approach to older adult falls focuses on prevention and is multidisciplinary and based on scientific rigor. Its steps include defining the problem, identifying causes, developing and testing interventions, and then implementing effective approaches on a large scale. We highlight current CDC activities that map onto each step of the public health model and close by providing future directions for older adult fall prevention, including support for program implementation, enhanced partnership building, and steps for better translation of research into practice.

Learning Areas:

Other professions or practice related to public health
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines
Public health or related organizational policy, standards, or other guidelines

Learning Objectives:
Describe fall prevention approaches for older adults from the viewpoint of the CDC. Discuss public health approaches and collaborative actions.

Keyword(s): Elderly, Injury Prevention

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have completed a Masters of Public Health at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, and residency in emergency medicine at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. I currently serve as Team Lead of the Health Systems Team, focusing on advancing injury prevention efforts, through the Affordable Care Act, Electronic Health Records, and screening and intervention initiatives.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.