TY - JOUR AU - Nova, Amanda A. AU - George A. Heckman, AU - Giangregorio, Lora M. AU - Mohamed Alarakhia, PY - 2022/09/02 Y2 - 2024/03/28 TI - A Qualitative Exploration of Proactive Falls Prevention by Canadian Primary Care Providers JF - Canadian Geriatrics Journal JA - Can Geriatr J VL - 25 IS - 3 SE - Original Research DO - 10.5770/cgj.25.582 UR - https://cgjonline.ca/index.php/cgj/article/view/582 SP - 295-299 AB - <p><strong>Background</strong></p><p>Falls are a growing concern in Canada. Primary care providers are well positioned to address falls risk, but international literature suggests that best-practice guidelines are rarely followed. The objective of this study is to explore the perspectives of Canadian primary care providers around falls prevention and identify solutions.</p><p><strong>Methods</strong></p><p>We conducted one-on-one qualitative interviews with a maximum variation sample of nine primary care providers in Ontario (n=8) and Alberta (n=1) in Canada. Data were collected over telephone and in-person at the location of participants choosing. Audio recordings of the interviews were transcribed, then coded and analyzed with the Behaviour Change Wheel theoretical framework. </p><p><strong>Results</strong></p><p>Most participants reported relying on patient self-report, intuition, and reactive approaches to identifying falls risk. Reported barriers to falls prevention included low capability to gather information on patient history, context, and community resources; limited opportunity to manage patient complexity due to time constraints; and challenges with motivating patients to engage in care plans. Reported facilitators included team-based interprofessional care and provider motivation.</p><p><strong>Conclusions</strong></p><p>This study has found that Canadian primary care providers face barriers to identifying and managing falls risk. These barriers may be rooted in primary care culture, structure, and tradition.</p> ER -