Healthcare Services for Older People Who Have Fallen With Potential Head Injury

NCT07111871 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: PHU/2025/35
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 1,000
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Every year, one in three older people (\>65 years old) experience a fall. Older people may have long-term health conditions and take medications that can increase their risk of bleeding (blood thinners). The UK national guidelines recommend that older people who are on blood thinning medications should have a CT head scan considered due to concerns of a brain bleed if they have hit their head after a fall. Many older people are therefore brought into hospital for assessment. However, the risk of bleeding in the brain is very low especially if older people do not have any symptoms such as loss of consciousness, weakness, headaches or vomiting. Some people could experience long waits in the emergency department or end up being admitted to hospital unnecessarily. This could worsen mobility, cause confusion, pressure sores or infections in older people. More importantly, older people should have a comprehensive falls assessment to reduce their risk of future falls and have their medications reviewed after experiencing a fall. These assessments could potentially take place in their own homes if they prefer, rather than in hospital. Yet, current healthcare services outside the hospital setting may not be set up to manage an older person after fall. Using an online survey, the investigators want to understand how current healthcare services in the Hampshire and Isle of Wight (HIOW) region work to look after older people who have had a fall. The study will focus particularly on older people taking blood thinning medications who may have a head injury but do not have any symptoms. The investigators will ask NHS workers what their role is, where they work and what they do when assessing an older person who has fallen if there is a concern about head injury. The survey will also ask participants to describe what challenges they may face, and if they have any suggestions to improve the care for older people. This study will help the investigators understand what services are available in our current healthcare system for older people on blood thinning medications who have fallen and may have a head injury. The investigators hope that the results will help improve how healthcare services can work together with older people and their closed ones to provide care based on what matters most to them in their preferred place of care. This could reduce unnecessary use of emergency services and hospital admissions for older people.

Conditions

Older Adults (65 Years and Older); Falls; Head Injury

Keywords

Older People; Anticoagulants; Antiplatelets; Falls; Head injury; Care pathways

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Current healthcare service pathways

  Describe healthcare services and clinical pathways across primary care, community care and secondary care services for older people following fall. This will include frequency and proportions of healthcare professionals' roles, experience, and assessment of an older person on anticoagulant or antiplatelet medications following a fall with asymptomatic head injury including availability of falls assessment and medication reviews.

  24 months

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Challenges or barriers experienced by healthcare professionals

  24 months

Study Arms (1)

NHS Healthcare workers

NHS health professionals working in any sectors (primary, secondary, tertiary) within Hampshire and Isle of Wight that assess older people (age \>65 who have had a fall as part of their job role

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

This study is a cross-sectional mixed-methods online survey involving NHS healthcare professionals working in HIOW ICS across all relevant sectors. This could include those working in (but not limited to): * Acute hospitals including ED, Acute Medical Unit, Older Persons/Geriatric departments, Same Day Emergency Care services * Primary care services including out of hours * Community health services (urgent community response services, acute frailty wards, hospital at home, urgent treatment centres) * South Central Ambulance Services (SCAS) and 111 emergency services

You may qualify if:

• Aged 18 years or above
• Healthcare professional whose primary employment is within HIOW
• Have experience reviewing older adults on anticoagulant or antiplatelet medications who have had a fall as part of their job role
• Confirmed consent to participate on the completed survey

You may not qualify if:

• Did not consent to participate on the completed survey

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust: lead

Study Sites (1)

Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust

Portsmouth, United Kingdom

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Craniocerebral Trauma

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Trauma, Nervous System; Nervous System Diseases; Wounds and Injuries

Study Officials

• Qian Yue Tan, PhD BM

  Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust

  STUDY CHAIR

Central Study Contacts

Laura Marshall

CONTACT

02392286000; laura.marshall72@nhs.net

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: OTHER
• Time Perspective: RETROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER GOV
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 14, 2025
• First Posted: August 8, 2025
• Study Start: September 11, 2025
• Primary Completion: December 23, 2025
• Study Completion (Estimated): May 31, 2026
• Last Updated: December 23, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-12

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

GB (1)