Methods We conducted a cross-sectional observational study of ED patients at an urban community ED affiliated with an academic medical center. The ED sees approximately 40,000 patients per year and is staffed by board-certified emergency physicians. This study was approved by the hospital’s Institutional Review Board and informed consent was obtained. A convenience sample of patients was enrolled between 8 AM and midnight on all days of the week when study investigators were in the department. Inclusion criteria included: age ≥ 60 years, patient being discharged from the ED, self-reported Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical weight <200 pounds, resident in the community or a personal

care home, and self-reported ability to walk 30 Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical feet without help of another person. Use of an assistive device was allowed [7,20]. Patients who presented with a fall remained eligible. Exclusion criteria included: subject incarcerated (in custody of police or prison officials at time of visit), non-English speaking, patient unable to give consent or complete the study tasks, and residence in a nursing home or rehabilitation facility. No memory screening was conducted on the patients. A patient information sheet and interview were completed upon Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical enrollment. Then, balance plate testing was performed which was followed by administration of a TUG

test. Consistent with previous literature, a fall was defined Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical as “any event in which a person inadvertently or unintentionally comes to rest on the ground or another lower level such as a chair, toilet, or bed [21].” Patients with any self reported fall in the previous week, month, 6 months, or year were considered as “fallers” for that time period. The study assessments were performed by two medical students and one undergraduate, all of whom had prior

experience in the conduct of clinical research. They did not have specific experience in falls risk-assessment. At least two study Selleckchem FK866 personnel were present for each subject. All personnel underwent a 2.5 hour training course sponsored by Bertec personnel on Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical use of the balance plate and demonstrated an ability to use the balance plate to the satisfaction of the Bertec representative. This training also included training in administering the TUG test. For both tests, a step-by-step manual was prepared for reference to ensure the same procedure was followed each time. The balance plate system heptaminol used to assess balance and degree of postural sway was the Bertec BalanceCheck Screener™ http://www.bertec.com. The system consists of a 20 × 20-inch platform at ground level connected to a laptop computer. The balance plate detects body sway based on the pressure that the subject’s feet apply to the plate surface. Several measures are generated which can be compared to age-adjusted normal values. For testing, each subject stood for 10 seconds under 4 different testing conditions.