Developing a falls management tool for adults with ID
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Co-production of a falls management tool for adults with intellectual disabilities – stakeholder views
IRAS ID
294136
Contact name
Katie Robinson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 30 days
Research summary
Research Summary
Falls can have a significant impact on the lives of adults with intellectual disabilities. The Guide to Action (GtA) Tool is a systematic falls management intervention that has been shown to be of benefit for community-dwelling older people however this tool in its current form needs to be adapted for use with adults with intellectual disabilities who have specific risk factors for falling and specific actions to reduce these risks. We will develop an adapted version of the Guide to Action Tool to account for the different needs of adults with intellectual disabilities and the different services and support networks they access. There will be several components in the development of the tool. This study is the first stage of the development which will explore the perspective of carers and healthcare professionals who support adults with intellectual disabilities. A further study will explore the views of adults with intellectual disabilities themselves.
This study will involve semi-structured interviews with carers and healthcare professionals to explore their views on the current version of the Guide to Action Tool and the areas where it may need to be adapted.Summary of Results
Background: The guide to action (GTA) tool is a falls management tool that identifies risk factors and supports action to reduce risks. It is clinically used for older adults however needs adapting for adults with intellectual disabilities (AWID) who have specific reasons why they might fall.
A programme of work is underway to co-produce, with AWID, carers and health professionals, a revised of the GtA tool to meet their needs, accounting for the different risk factors and the different settings in which people are supported The first stage of our work has been to gather views from key stakeholders What did we do?
Interviews were undertaken with AWID, healthcare professionals and carers supporting AWID to explore views on the first draft of the tool. The interviews were then analysedWho was involved?: 14 healthcare professionals (HCP), 8 carers (CAR) and 3 AWID took part in an individual interview. A further 10 AWID took part in a group interview carried out over 3 visits.
What were the main findings from the interviews?
The views of key stakeholders identified:
• The need for the tool to support AWID in the management of falls
• Four substantive themes for the tool based around its : format, design, content and completion
• That a personalised two part tool involving a clinician component and a carer and AWID component would be beneficial
• That development of the tool needs to :
o Consider the impact of risk perception and anxiety surrounding falls
o Ensure the voice of AWID are integral within completion of the tool
o Be proactive and educational
Next steps
• Expert consensus group: to agree how the adapted tool should be formatted and completed
• Expert review: to check if the content of the tool is accurate
• Proof of concept study: to try out the adapted tool and see what people think about using itREC name
Wales REC 5
REC reference
21/WA/0189
Date of REC Opinion
1 Jun 2021
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion