Validated fall risk assessment tools for use with older adults: a systematic review

Aims: to find and describe, through a systematic review, validated assessment tool that evaluate the fall risk in older adults. Methods: MEDLINE, PEDro, CINAHL, and PsycINFO were consulted and no restrictions were applied to the year or country of publication but the searches were limited to studies published in English. Two authors independently identified eligible studies on the basis of inclusion criteria and extracted data. Results: Fifty-five eligible studies were identified, out of which 33 valued risk assessment tools emerged. The tools used the most were the Falls Efficacy Scale International and the Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale with 15 and 6 studies respectively. Conclusions: The large number of tools reflects a strong tendency to create new instruments, with only a few of them recommended. To reach a gold standard, it would be good to try to validate the existing scales in more countries instead of creating new ones.