The Epidemiology of Ambulance Attended Falls in Western Australia

Abstract

This doctoral research described the epidemiology of ambulance-attended falls (including repeat falls) in adults in Western Australia (WA), to better inform the prehospital management of patients who fall. The findings showed an increased incidence of ambulance-attended falls over time, with 58% of falls-related incidents due to repeat falls, contributing to an increasing demand on the state’s ambulance service. Paramedic interviews identified that attending low-acuity fall-related incidents, lead to complex decision-making about patient disposition.