Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2009 Mar 31:9:14.
doi: 10.1186/1471-2377-9-14.

The FLASSH study: protocol for a randomised controlled trial evaluating falls prevention after stroke and two sub-studies

Frances A Batchelor  1 , Keith D Hill, Shylie F Mackintosh, Catherine M Said, Craig H Whitehead
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

The FLASSH study: protocol for a randomised controlled trial evaluating falls prevention after stroke and two sub-studies

Frances A Batchelor et al. BMC Neurol. .

Abstract

Background: Falls are common in stroke survivors returning home after rehabilitation, however there is currently a lack of evidence about preventing falls in this population. This paper describes the study protocol for the FLASSH (FaLls prevention After Stroke Survivors return Home) project.

Methods and design: This randomised controlled trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a multi-factorial falls prevention program for stroke survivors who are at high risk of falling when they return home after rehabilitation. Intervention will consist of a home exercise program as well as individualised falls prevention and injury minimisation strategies based on identified risk factors for falls. Additionally, two sub-studies will be implemented in order to explore other key areas related to falls in this population. The first of these is a longitudinal study evaluating the relationship between fear of falling, falls and function over twelve months, and the second evaluates residual impairment in gait stability and obstacle crossing twelve months after discharge from rehabilitation.

Discussion: The results of the FLASSH project will inform falls prevention practice for stroke survivors. If the falls prevention program is shown to be effective, low cost strategies to prevent falls can be implemented for those at risk around the time of discharge from rehabilitation, thus improving safety and quality of life for stroke survivors. The two sub-studies will contribute to the overall understanding and management of falls risk in stroke survivors.

Trial registration: This trial is registered with the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN012607000398404).

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Study design – randomised controlled trial.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare . Australia's health 2008. Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare; 2008.
    1. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare . How we manage stroke in Australia. Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare; 2006.
    1. Davenport RJ, Dennis MS, Wellwood I, Warlow CP. Complications after acute stroke. Stroke. 1996;27:415–420. - PubMed
    1. Nyberg L, Gustafson Y. Patient falls in stroke rehabilitation – a challenge to rehabilitation strategies. Stroke. 1995;26:838–842. - PubMed
    1. Teasell R, McRae M, Foley N, Bhardwaj A. The incidence and consequences of falls in stroke patients during inpatient rehabilitation: factors associated with high risk. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2002;83:329–333. doi: 10.1053/apmr.2002.29623. - DOI - PubMed

Publication types