Running head: PICOT CRITIQUE PAPER 1
PICOT Critique: Risk Factors for Accidental Falls in Elderly Patients
Name
Institution
Date
, PICOT CRITIQUE PAPER 2
PICOT Critique: Risk Factors for Accidental Falls in Elderly Patients
Research Article
Gautério, P. D., Zortea, B., Santos, C., Sidney, S., da Silva Tarouco, B., Lopes, M. J., & João
Fonseca, C. (2015). Risk Factors for new accidental falls in elderly patients at
traumatology ambulatory center. Investigación y Educación En Enfermería, 33(1), 35-43.
Introduction
Patient fall is the leading cause of preventable injuries among elderly patients. It has been
ranked as the third leading cause of death in patients above 60 years (Gautério et al., 2015). It is
also associated with causing a decline in the health status of patients. Patients with a history of
falls have an increased risk of subsequent falls. This compromises on their functional ability. As
a result, they are likely to lose their independence as they cannot efficiently carry out their
activities of daily living. A proper understanding of the cause of falls among the elderly is
essential in designing a patient centered approach to reduce the occurrence of falls.
PICO: In patients aged above 65 years, does assessing for fall risk with a proper understanding
of different causes of falls as compared with no assessments, help in designing patient centered
approach to reduce and prevent the occurrence of falls?
Summary of the Quantitative Research Article
Gautério et al. (2015) researched on the risk factors that led to new accidental falls in
elderly patients at a traumatology ambulatory center. The common causes of falls were classified
into intrinsic factors and extrinsic factors. The intrinsic factors include the factors associates with
the physiological and pathological processes of aging, including illnesses and polypharmacy. On
the other hand, extrinsic factors include factors relating to the patients’ environment. The
research established that both intrinsic and extrinsic factors contributed to new cases of falls, as
PICOT Critique: Risk Factors for Accidental Falls in Elderly Patients
Name
Institution
Date
, PICOT CRITIQUE PAPER 2
PICOT Critique: Risk Factors for Accidental Falls in Elderly Patients
Research Article
Gautério, P. D., Zortea, B., Santos, C., Sidney, S., da Silva Tarouco, B., Lopes, M. J., & João
Fonseca, C. (2015). Risk Factors for new accidental falls in elderly patients at
traumatology ambulatory center. Investigación y Educación En Enfermería, 33(1), 35-43.
Introduction
Patient fall is the leading cause of preventable injuries among elderly patients. It has been
ranked as the third leading cause of death in patients above 60 years (Gautério et al., 2015). It is
also associated with causing a decline in the health status of patients. Patients with a history of
falls have an increased risk of subsequent falls. This compromises on their functional ability. As
a result, they are likely to lose their independence as they cannot efficiently carry out their
activities of daily living. A proper understanding of the cause of falls among the elderly is
essential in designing a patient centered approach to reduce the occurrence of falls.
PICO: In patients aged above 65 years, does assessing for fall risk with a proper understanding
of different causes of falls as compared with no assessments, help in designing patient centered
approach to reduce and prevent the occurrence of falls?
Summary of the Quantitative Research Article
Gautério et al. (2015) researched on the risk factors that led to new accidental falls in
elderly patients at a traumatology ambulatory center. The common causes of falls were classified
into intrinsic factors and extrinsic factors. The intrinsic factors include the factors associates with
the physiological and pathological processes of aging, including illnesses and polypharmacy. On
the other hand, extrinsic factors include factors relating to the patients’ environment. The
research established that both intrinsic and extrinsic factors contributed to new cases of falls, as
