Concerns about falls are common amongst older patients in hospital and in geriatric rehabilitation, and can impair mobility and recovery during and after their stay. However, there is as yet no questionnaire sufficiently suited to the hospital setting, as existing questionnaires, such as the Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I), primarily assess everyday situations outside the hospital environment.

The Hospital FES-I was therefore developed by Prof. Dr Toby Ellmers and his team in the UK. It was based on feedback from patients, clinicians and other experts.

The current international study is investigating whether the new questionnaire reliably captures fall-related concerns in hospital. The German study is being conducted jointly by Friedrich-Alexander University (FAU) Erlangen-Nuremberg, FAU Hospital Bayreuth, the University of Oldenburg and Bremerhaven Hospital, and is being coordinated by Dr Sabine Britting from the Institute for Biomedical Ageing at FAU. The aim is to validate a German version that will enable patients with significant concerns about falling to be identified early and provided with more targeted support.

Participating sites: