The Effects of Footwear on Balance and Confidence in Older Inpatients

Accidental Falls Clinical Trial

Official title: A Prospective Randomised Crossover Study to Evaluate the Effect Different Footwear Type Has on Measures of Balance and Confidence in Older Hospital Inpatients

Status Not yet recruiting

Clinical Trial Summary

The study aims to assess whether type of footwear worn changes the balance, mobility and confidence of older inpatients and consequently may affect their falls risk whilst in hospital. The investigators hope to identify which footwear type is most beneficial to patients in the ward environment.

Clinical Trial Description

Footwear is known to be one of many recognised significant risk factors for falls, presumably by affecting balance and gait pattern. However, little is known regarding the best footwear for hospital inpatients in whom approximately 40% of older persons fall during their hospital admission. Patients admitted to hospital without their own footwear (slippers or shoes) are routinely given foam slippers referred to as pillow paws (PPs). There are concerns that these PPs may contribute to falls as they are often ill fitting (come in a very limited size range) and or are flimsy offering little foot and ankle support. Hence Medicine for the Elderly consultant and registrars designed this study to gain information on differences in balance, mobility and confidence when patients are wearing different footwear types. As a secondary outcome, falls data will also be collected to see whether there is any association between footwear types and inpatient falls incidence.

The aim is to compare pillow paws (PPs) with sturdy outdoor footwear or sturdy slippers. In this way we hope to gain information on which footwear type is most beneficial to hospital inpatients. A recent similar study infers that sturdy outdoor footwear benefits outpatients, but it is not clear whether the same applies to a hospital inpatient population whom are often frailer with greater co-morbidities (physical and mental) and a higher falls risk. ;

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Crossover Assignment, Masking: Open Label, Primary Purpose: Prevention

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Accidental Falls
• Postural Balance

• NCT number: NCT01132963
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
• Contact: Elizabeth Burleigh, MBChB MRCP
• Phone: 00441412016126
• Email: Liz.Burleigh@ggc.scot.nhs.uk
• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: May 2010
• Completion date: November 2010