Prescribe Exercise for Prevention of Falls and Fractures: A Family Health Team Approach

Falls and fractures are a leading cause of death and disability in the older adult population. The consequences of falls and fractures contribute substantially to health care costs and can have a significant negative impact on the quality of life of the individual. Exercise has been studied as an option to reduce fracture risk and prevent falls though improving balance and muscle strength. The prevention of falls is important, as a history of falls is strongly predictive of suffering another. Those who are at a high risk of fracture or falling require a patient specific assessment and individualized exercise prescription that is tailored to their needs. This kind of program may not be typically available within the community and at a low cost. These individuals may experience difficulty when trying to engage in exercise due to barriers such as a lack of transportation, and a lack of knowledge. As the first point of contact with the health care system for many family doctors are in the ideal position to deliver exercise advice to their patients. However, a lack of time and specialized skills in prescribing exercise make this difficult for many of them. As a result, family health teams who provide interdisciplinary patient centered care are becoming popular. In this model the care is shared and provided by the most appropriate team member (e.g. doctor, nurse, exercise specialist). Additionally, many exercise interventions do not include a behavior change aspect, which may be an important component when trying to get individuals to engage in a new health behavior like exercise. Therefore the purpose of this project is to assess the feasibility of implementing a tailored exercise program to those at high risk of falls or fractures over the age of 65 in a primary care setting using an interdisciplinary model of care that is based on a health behaviour change model.