Risk Factors for Falls in Adult Cancer Survivors: An Integrative Review.
Grace Campbell, Rachel A Wolfe, Mary Lou Klem
PMID 29957697WHAT IT FOUND
Poor physical function, cognitive function, and balance or gait problems were the most common factors associated with falls in adult cancer survivors.
Medication type also appeared among them. The studies could not be combined into one overall estimate.
Key findings
01Poor physical function, cognitive function, balance or gait problems, and medication type were the most common factors associated with falls among adult cancer survivors.
02The included studies could not be combined into one overall estimate because they used different measures and reported results differently.
03All included studies were observational or qualitative, so they show associations rather than proof that a risk factor causes falls.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
No randomized trials were found, so the review cannot show that changing a risk factor prevents falls. The included studies were observational or qualitative, which show associations rather than proof of cause. The studies measured and reported risk factors in different ways, so the authors could not combine them into one overall estimate. The median study quality was 1.67 out of 3.0, and low-quality studies were not excluded. Unpublished studies were not searched, so some negative or small studies may be missing. There were too few inpatient studies to say what fall risk factors matter most in hospital, hospice, or palliative care. Some studies may have used the same data more than once, which could make risk factors look stronger.
Declared interests
The authors reported no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read poor physical function, cognitive function, balance or gait problems, or medication type as proven causes of falls or as targets shown to reduce falls. The review found associations in observational studies and could not combine the studies into one overall estimate.