AGEM Author Spotlight Apr 2024
Published Work by AGEM Members
AGEM Author Spotlight: Fernanda Bellolio, MD, MS Department of Emergency Medicine at Mayo Clinic
Risk of falls is associated with 30-day mortality among older adults in the emergency department
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajem.2024.02.020
Our study involved 941 patients aged 75 years and older who were assessed for fall risk using the Memorial Emergency Department Fall Risk Assessment Tool (MEDFRAT). The patients were classified into low, moderate, and high fall risk groups. The 30-day mortality rates were 3.1% for the low-risk group, 6.0% for the moderate-risk group, and 11.8% for the high-risk group. The mortality rate for the high fall risk group was four times that of the low fall risk group (HR 4.00, 95% CI 2.18 to 7.34, p <0.001).
We concluded that fall risk assessment in the emergency department is associated with 30-day all-cause mortality. Screening may facilitate the stratification of older adults at risk for health deterioration.
This study is relevant to geriatric emergency medicine as it highlights the relationship of fall risk assessments in predicting all-cause mortality among older adults. There is overlap in geriatric syndromes and fall risk assessments serve as a risk stratification strategy in the ED for older adults. Use your ED's fall risk assessment to better identify adults who are at risk and will benefit of targeted interventions for overall improved outcomes.
Dr. Fernanda Bellolio is a Professor of Emergency Medicine with joint appointments in the Department of Health Sciences Research, Division of Health Care Policy and Research, and Department of Medicine, Division of Community Internal Medicine, Geriatrics and Palliative Care at Mayo Clinic. She is the Vice-Chair for Research in the Department of Emergency Medicine and the Director for Clinical Applications for the Robert & Arlene Kogod Center on Aging at Mayo Clinic.
Dr. Bellolio has conducted multiple observational and interventional studies. She has 180 peer reviewed publications, 8,152 citations to her articles. She is the site-principal investigator for several NIH funded studies and networks. She has participated in national and international grant study sections. She is a leader in research methodology, patient centered care, clinical research, and clinical guidelines development. She has mentored more than 90 individuals including students, physicians, pharmacists, and PhD scientists. A list of her publications in the National Library of Medicine is available: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.
Dr. Bellolio truly believes in the power of collaboration and developing others along the research path. The summarized work was led by Lucas Silva as he transitioned from mentee to mentor himself.