Target Audience

MD, DO, Pharmacist, Nurse Practitioner, Occupational Therapist, Respiratory Therapist, Dentist, Dietician, Audiologist, Sonographer, Licensed Practical Nurse, Nurse Anesthetist, Therapist, Optometrist, Surgeon, Psychiatrist, Anesthesiologist, Podiatrist, Registered Nurse, Paramedic, Emergency Medical Technician, Other.

Goals and Objectives

In the United States, falls are the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries for geriatric patients. With a growing aging population, medical trainees must gain experience with geriatric assessments, including fall risk and prevention. To the authors’ knowledge, no prior studies have explored who most often initiates fall discussions between Internal Medicine (IM) residents and geriatric (age 65 years and older) patients. The objective was to determine who most often initiates fall discussions between IM residents and geriatric patients and the barriers to having these discussions.

Most patients have conversations about falling with their physicians, but discrepancies exist regarding who initiates them. Data from this study suggest that attendings may be instrumental in starting these conversations. Reminder systems and fall risk didactic curricula may increase resident-initiated fall discussions.

After participating in this activity, learners should be better prepared to:

• Identify fall risks.
• Implement and perform fall risk evaluations and counseling for elderly patients.
• Implement counseling for caregivers regarding prevention of falls for the elderly persons they support.

Course Information

CME Release Date:  February 12, 2024
Valid for credit through:  February 11, 2027
Course type: Journal CME/CE
Estimated time of completion: 1 hour
Passing Score: 70%

Credits Available

Southern Medical Association is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Southern Medical Association designates this Journal CME/CE activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

System Requirements and Instructions for Participation and Credit

System Requirements

• Learners must have Adobe Reader installed in order to view course content.
• The website is supported by the latest versions of most modern web browsers. In order to experience the website fully, please upgrade to the latest version of one of the following browsers: Google Chrome (recommended), Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Apple Mobile Safari.
• JavaScript must be enabled. JavaScript should be enabled by default in your browser, but if not then please consult your browser's Help section for information on how to change this setting. Upgrade your browser to a version that supports JavaScript 1.2 or higher (see browser list above).
• Connection Speed Requirements - DSL or faster

Instructions for Participation and Credit

This activity is designed to be completed within the time designated; learners should claim only those credits that reflect the time actually spent in the activity. 

To successfully earn credit, participants must complete the activity online during the valid credit period noted, following these steps:

• Read the goals and objectives, accreditation information, and author disclosures.
• Login in below to study the educational content and references.
• Complete the evaluation and quiz.

Upon successful completion of these components, your certificate will be processed and emailed from customerservice@sma.org within approximately 1 hour. Credits will be archived for 6 years; at any point within this time period you may login to your account to print a duplicate copy of your certificate.