ALERT-ED for Fall Risk in Emergency Patients

(ALERT-ED Trial)

Overseen By Kathryn Erickson, MS

Age: 65+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Colorado, Denver

Disqualifiers: Does not consent

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 2

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to prevent falls in older adults using a new tool called ALERT-ED. ALERT-ED notifies patients of their fall risk after an emergency visit and connects them with local programs to prevent future falls. The trial will test whether this approach can reduce falls by increasing patient awareness and preparedness. It seeks participants aged 65 or older who have been identified as high risk for falls during an emergency department visit. As an unphased trial, this study offers participants a unique opportunity to contribute to innovative fall prevention strategies.

Do I need to stop taking my current medications for this trial?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What prior data suggests that the ALERT-ED intervention is safe for patients?

Research has shown that the ALERT-ED program uses reliable methods to assess fall risk. For instance, the MEDFRAT tool effectively predicts if a patient might fall in an emergency department, with an 83% success rate in identifying those at risk.

One study indicated that when patients receive referrals from the emergency department to fall prevention programs, their risk of falling at home decreases by 38%. This evidence suggests that the ALERT-ED program effectively helps reduce falls.

Regarding safety, ALERT-ED provides information and resources, and there are no known physical risks for participants, making it a low-risk option for those involved. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the ALERT-ED protocol because it introduces a new approach to managing fall risk by integrating technology directly into patient care. Unlike traditional methods that rely on in-person consultations and educational materials, ALERT-ED utilizes the Livi Chatbot, providing patients with personalized, digital support through their After Visit Summary. This innovative use of a chatbot aims to enhance patient engagement and accessibility, potentially leading to better adherence to fall prevention strategies and ultimately reducing the risk of falls in emergency department patients.

What evidence suggests that ALERT-ED is effective for reducing fall risk in emergency patients?

Research shows that programs designed to prevent falls can reduce falls by 30% among older adults. Studies have found that referrals from emergency departments to these programs can lower the risk of falling at home by 38%. In this trial, participants in one arm will receive ALERT-ED, a system that automatically informs patients about their fall risk and connects them to nearby prevention programs. This system can increase awareness and access to these resources. By improving awareness of available resources, ALERT-ED aims to reduce fall rates and enhance patient safety. ^{2 3 6 7 8}

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

The ALERT-ED trial is for older adults who visit the emergency department (ED) and are at risk of falls. Participants must have undergone fall risk screening upon ED arrival. The study aims to help those unaware of fall prevention resources by providing them with their screening results and referrals to nearby programs.

Inclusion Criteria

I am 65 years old or older.

Screens high risk falls on the Geriatric Fall assessment tool (as shown in protocol and used as standard practice in study ED)

Exclusion Criteria

Does not consent to follow up interview

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1 day

1 visit (in-person)

Intervention

Participants receive automated notification of fall risk screening results and referral via Livi to evidence-based fall prevention programs

Immediate

1 visit (virtual)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for effectiveness of the intervention in reducing fall risk

4 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• ALERT-ED

Trial Overview ALERT-ED is an intervention where participants receive automated notifications about their fall risk based on ED screenings, along with referrals to local evidence-based fall prevention programs. This trial tests whether such notifications can improve patient health outcomes through increased awareness and resource linkage.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: ALERT-ED Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Patient receives link to the Livi Chatbot in After Visit Summary

Group II: Receives online educational recourses Active Control 1 Intervention

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Colorado, Denver

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,842

Recruited

3,028,000+

Citations

1. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/phase-emergencies-7-2025-cc4b2

ALERT-ED for Fall Risk in Emergency Patients Evidence-based fall prevention programs can reduce falls by 30%, but older adults commonly describe limited awareness of resources. Currently, all UCHealth ED ...

2. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10436111/

Effectiveness of an Emergency Department–Based ... Previous work has shown that ED referrals to falls interventions can reduce the risk of an at-home fall by 38%. Screening patients at risk for a ...

3. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2588994X2500017X

Screening and assessment of falls risk in the emergency ... The results showed that screening time was relatively quick (11 minutes) and that a majority of patients would benefit from further falls-risk assessment ...

4. patlynk.com patlynk.com/trial/NCT07028463

Emergency Department Patients At-Risk Awareness & ... This study introduces ALERT-ED, a program designed to automatically notify patients of their fall risk screening results and refer them to nearby fall ...

5. jenonline.org jenonline.org/article/S0099-1767(24)00378-7/fulltext

Predictive Performance of the KINDER 1 Fall Risk ... This study examined the predictive performance of the KINDER 1 Fall Risk Assessment Tool in 10 emergency departments.

6. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0735675723005740

Quality evaluation of the usefulness of an emergency ... The Memorial Emergency Department Fall Risk Assessment Tool (MEDFRAT) has shown to be effective with predicting a patient's fall risk in the ED.

7. physiciansweekly.com physiciansweekly.com/post/assessing-the-quality-and-effectiveness-of-an-ed-fall-risk-assessment-tool

MEDFRAT Tool Shows 83% Sensitivity for ED Fall Risk Study validates MEDFRAT tool with 83% sensitivity for predicting in-hospital falls in level 1 trauma center ED, outperforming MSRA tool ...

8. annemergmed.com annemergmed.com/article/S0196-0644(18)30832-1/fulltext

A Retrospective Chart Review of Patient Falls Fifty-three falls were recorded, representing 0.482 per 1000 patient visits in the ED. The mean and median age was 52 years old and 54.7% were male (29 males; ...