Fall Risk Management (FRM)

The two components of this survey measure assess different facets of fall risk management.

  • Discussing Fall Risk: Medicare beneficiaries 65 and older with balance or walking problems or a fall in the past 12 months, who were seen by a practitioner in the past 12 months and who report discussing falls or problems with balance or walking with the practitioner.
  • Managing Fall Risk: Medicare beneficiaries 65 and older who had a fall or had problems with balance or walking in the past 12 months, who were seen by a practitioner in the past 12 months and who report receiving fall risk intervention from the practitioner.

Why It Matters

Falls are the leading cause of death by injury in people 65 and older: Every year, one in three older adults falls.1 Falls can cause hip fractures and head wounds. Which increases the risk of early death. This incites fear that can reduce mobility, cause depression and social isolation.2,3

Falls are a threat to the health and independence of older adults.4 The majority of falls could be prevented through evidence-based interventions, initial discussions with practitioners about future risk of falls and practical lifestyle adjustments.4

Results – National Averages

Fall Risk Discussion

YearMedicare HMOMedicare PPO
201727.622.9
201637.632.7
201535.032.0
201434.431.6
201333.631.4
201233.831.4
201132.830.7
201032.831.1
200931.130.3
200831.330.7
200739.428.1
200627.526.9

Fall Risk Intervention

YearMedicare HMOMedicare PPO
201760.051.5
201660.154.1
201558.653.4
201462.057.4
201362.257.0
201262.056.8
201160.254.6
201060.155.3
200957.754.7
200857.853.4
200656.054.2

This State of Healthcare Quality Report classifies health plans differently than NCQA’s Quality Compass. HMO corresponds to All LOBs (excluding PPO and EPO) within Quality Compass. PPO corresponds to PPO and EPO within Quality Compass.

Figures do not account for changes in the underlying measure that could break trending. Contact Information Products via my.ncqa.org for analysis that accounts for trend breaks.

References

  1. Bergen, G., M.R. Stevens, E.R. Burns. 2016. “Falls and fall injuries among adults aged ≥65 years—United States, 2014.” MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 65(37):993–8. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/wr/mm6537a2.htm
  2. National Institutes of Health. 2014. “Preventing Falls.” NIH MedlinePlus the Magazine. Winter 2014 Issue: Volume 8 Number 4. https://medlineplus.gov/magazine/issues/winter14/articles/winter14pg12-13.html
  3. National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. 2015. “Preventing Falls: A Guide to Implementing Effective Community-Based Fall Prevention Programs.” Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/pdf/falls/fallpreventionguide-2015-a.pdf
  4. National Council on Aging. 2012. “Fall prevention: Fact sheet.” http://www.ncoa.org/assets/files/pdf/Fact-Sheet_Falls-Prevention.pdf

  • Save

    Save your favorite pages and receive notifications whenever they’re updated.

    You will be prompted to log in to your NCQA account.

  • Email

    Share this page with a friend or colleague by Email.

    We do not share your information with third parties.

  • Print

    Print this page.