Presented by Michelle Price

Falls are consistently the largest category for calling an Ambulance in NSW. Paramedics attend over one hundred thousand calls to falls per year with thirty percent not transported to an Emergency Department (ED). The majority of patients not transported are left with little to no referral for ongoing assessment and care. Non-transported falls patients have been identified as the group most likely to need a subsequent Ambulance within one day of the original fall and they also account for one quarter of all non-transportation related deaths within 30 days. NSW Ambulance trialled the use of the FROP-Com assessment tool. The results indicated that the FROP-Com was too long for standard Paramedic practice and Paramedic’s would prefer to use the FROP-Com screening tool. Results of the trial have resulted in changes to Paramedic education, assessment and referral practises.

Biography: Michelle Price is the NSW Ambulance Falls Program Coordinator and has been in this role since February 2018. She has been employed by NSW Ambulance from 2002 as an Intensive and Extended Care Paramedic and as a Targeted Resource Allocation Clinician. She has a Bachelor of Science Degree and an Advanced Diploma of Paramedical Science. Her Falls Project aims to introduce falls screening using the FROP-Com screening tool, to all non-transported older patients from July 2018. The project also consists of falls education for Paramedics and establishment of formalised alternate referral pathways for patients when they are not transported to the Emergency Department. Michelle has been working together with the Clinical Excellence Commission, the iSOLVE Research Team, various Primary Health Networks and Local Health Districts.

This presentation was part of ANZCP2018 Sydney on 23rd & 24th August 2018.