The HIP-HOP Flooring Study: Helping Injury Prevention in Hospitalised Older People

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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In hospitals, older people can fall and hurt themselves. The investigators want to see if a new type of flooring can help stop people hurting themselves as badly, if they accidentally fall.

Detailed Description
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We will carry out the study in eight elderly care wards across England. We will first study the wards for up to 6 months. Then, half of the wards will have the new floor laid. Wards will be chosen to receive the new floor, or remain with a standard floor, by chance. The new floor has 'shock-absorbent' properties. We will study all the wards for another 12 months. This will allow us to compare the new flooring with the normal flooring.

Official Title
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Pilot Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial of Flooring to Reduce Injuries From Falls in Elderly Care Units

Conditions
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Accidental Falls

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: New flooring


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: all patients admitted to the study area on a participating elderly care ward Exclusion Criteria: none.
Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Prevention
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: New Flooring<br>Will receive 8.3mm thick floor covering (Omnisports EXCEL) to replace previous floor covering. | Other: New flooring<br>* 8.3mm thick vinyl floor covering with foam backing, manufactured by Tarkett and installed by Tyndale Flooring Ltd.<br>* Other names: Omnisports EXCEL;|
| No Intervention: Standard Flooring<br>Ward will remain with standard floor covering. The overlay will have a comparable slip resistance rating to the new flooring. The sub-floor will also be comparable. | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| fall-related injury |  | Study duration = 18 months. Outcome measured for each patient for duration of stay in ward (approx. 30 days). | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Number of falls |  | Study duration = 18 months. Outcome measured for each patient for duration of stay in ward (approx. 30 days). | 
| Unexpected adverse events |  | Study duration = 18 months. Outcome measured for each patient for duration of stay in ward (approx. 30 days). | 
| Slip resistance of flooring |  | Measured at 4 time-points over 1.5 years (1 month; 6 months; 12 months; 18 months) | 
| Shock-absorbency of flooring |  | Measured at 4 time-points over 1.5 years (1 month; 6 months; 12 months; 18 months) | 
| Place of residence (for cost-effectiveness analysis) |  | Each patient followed-up 3 months post-discharge | 
| Quality of life (for cost-effectiveness analysis) |  | Each patient followed-up 3 months post-discharge | 
| Number of hospital re-admissions (for cost-effectiveness analysis) |  | Each patient followed-up 3 months post-discharge | 
| User views (patients and staff) |  | Collected during 1 year follow-up of intervention sites (months 6 to 18) | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Floors and Floorcoverings, Health Services for the Aged, Fractures, bone, Delirium, Dementia, Amnestic, Cognitive Disorders, Frail Elderly, Aged, 80 and over