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Prevention of Falls Network for Dissemination

Project description


Fall prevention network for older persons

The Prevention of Falls Network for Dissemination (ProFouND) is a thematic network working with the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing to bring about the dissemination and implementation of best practice in falls prevention across Europe.

ProFouND comprises 21 partners from 12 countries, with associate members from 10 countries.
ProFouND aims to influence policy to increase awareness of falls and innovative prevention programmes amongst health and social care authorities, the commercial sector, NGOs and the general public in order to disseminate the work of the network to target groups across EU.
Specifically ProFouND’s objective is to embed evidence based fall prevention programmes for elderly people at risk of falls by using novel ICT and effective training programmes in at least 10 countries/15 regions by 2015 to facilitate widespread implementation. ProFouND will achieve this in three main ways.

  • First, by collating evidence-based resources to inform the development and content of a novel state-of-the-art online web-based expert system; the ProFouND Falls Prevention Application (PFPApp). The PFPApp will enable the creation of tailored, customised, up-todate best practice guidance, that can be context and individual specific. For example, a Falls Prevention practitioner in assessing the needs of an elderly patient would ask a series of questions to inform the inclusion of best practice guidance from a database of predefined evidence-based articles. This advice, on aspects of health would be presented in an easily understand and attractive printable leaflet, branded with institutional logos, contact information and other bespoke information according to what is available in the local area.
  • Second, ProFouND, in collaboration with Later Life Training, will provide a cascade model training programme using face to face and e-learning approaches to create a cadre of accredited exercise trainers across Europe to implement exercise regimens that have been proven to reduce falls amongst older people. The idea here is that once trained, these trainers would then in turn train instructors to deliver classes directly to people who need this kind of intervention.
  • Third, ProFouND will also create an “ICT for Falls Forum” to identify evidence based solutions that can help reduce falls and engage with industry to promote development and adoption of these solutions. This forum will run events and reach out to promote MHealth capabilities and European competitiveness in the sector.

ProFouND will directly address the objectives of the EIP-AHA by creating a Thematic Network with 21 partners from 12 countries. We have associate members from a further 10 countries, who will act to further disseminate best practice in falls prevention. Our objective is to embed evidence based fall prevention programmes for elderly people at risk of falls using novel ICT solution in at least 10 countries/15 regions by 2015, thus to reduce falls incidence in those regions by 2020. We work with multisectorial stakeholders to achieve these objectives, using internet and ICT solutions to facilitate widespread implementation. We will collate a free access resources library for health care professionals, create a novel PFPApp to distribute tailored, customised, up to date best practice guidance, that is context and even individual specific and available in various languages. We provide a cascade model training programme using face to face and e-learning approaches to create a cadre of accredited exercise trainers across Europe to implement exercise regimens that have been proven to reduce falls amongst older people. We will work closely with E-NO FALLS to create an "ICT for Falls Network" to engage with industry players, to promote development and adoption of novel ICT. This forum will run events and reach out to promote MHealth capabilities and European competitiveness in the sector. We will run a number of meetings, events, exchanges and work with stakeholder organisations across Europe to disseminate best practice very widely to governmental, NGO and commercial organisations etc to create the conditions in which falls prevention is on everybody's agenda. We will evaluate our progress towards our objectives by setting up standardised baseline, process and outcome data collection in our constituent sites and regions. ProFouND is an ambitious network, rising to the challenge of the EIP.

Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Call for proposal

CIP-ICT-PSP-2012-6
See other projects for this call

Funding Scheme

TN - Thematic Network

Coordinator

THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER
EU contribution
€ 376 396,00
Address
OXFORD ROAD
M13 9PL Manchester
United Kingdom

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Region
North West (England) Greater Manchester Manchester
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Administrative Contact
Liz Fay (Ms.)
Links
Total cost
No data

Participants (21)

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Last update: 25 April 2017

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Permalink: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/325087

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