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AbstractBackgroundMillions of older US adults fall annually, leading to catastrophic injuries, over 32,000 deaths and healthcare costs of over $55 billion. This study evaluated perceived benefits and limitations of using community paramedicine for fall prevention strategies from the lens of older adults, caregivers, and healthcare providers.MethodsSemi‐structured focus groups were held with individuals from three stakeholder groups: (1) community‐dwelling older adults (age ≥60), (2) caregivers, and (3) healthcare providers. The Strengths‐Weaknesses‐Opportunities‐Threats (SWOT) framework was used to quantitatively analyze stakeholder perceptions of using community paramedicine for fall prevention strategies.ResultsA total of 10 focus groups were held with 56 participants representing older adults (n = 15), caregivers (n = 16), and healthcare providers (n = 25). Community paramedicine was supported as a model of fall prevention by older adults, caregivers, and healthcare providers. Participants identified strengths such as visibility to the home environment, ability to implement home modifications, implicit trust in emergency medical services (EMS), and capacity to redirect resources toward prevention. Additionally, participants acknowledged opportunities such as providing continuity of care across the healthcare spectrum, improving quality and safety of care and potentially reducing unnecessary emergency department use. Participants endorsed weaknesses and threats such as funding, concerns of patients about stigma, and struggles with medical data integration.ConclusionsThe results of this study illuminate the opportunity to leverage community paramedicine to address a variety of perceived barriers in order to design and implement better solutions for fall prevention efforts.
Adult, Emergency Medical Services, Paramedicine, Caregivers, Health Personnel, Humans, Middle Aged, Focus Groups, Aged
Adult, Emergency Medical Services, Paramedicine, Caregivers, Health Personnel, Humans, Middle Aged, Focus Groups, Aged
citations This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | 2 | |
popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network. | Top 10% | |
influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | Average | |
impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network. | Average |