STUDY DESIGN OF A MULTIFACTORIAL INTERVENTION TRIAL TO REDUCE PROXIMAL FEMORAL FRACTURES IN INSTITUTIONALIZED ELDERLY - GOALS AND DESIGN OFA POPULATION-BASED STUDY

The article presents the design of an open controlled, non-randomized population based intervention trial in institutionalized elderly that will be performed in Ulm/Germany starting in 1998. The multimodal inte rvention includes education, counseling, training, and hip protectors as well as information on potential environmental modifications in nur sing homes. Two historical and one geographical control group will be formed. All institutionalized elderly will be assessed by means of the Minimum Data Set of the Resident Assessment Instrument. The intervent ion will last 12 months. The main objective is to test a model for cos t-effective reduction of proximal femoral fractures in institutionaliz ed elderly and to demonstrate its effectiveness.