After the Fall
Baltimore is betting on data mapping to curb the leading cause of fatal injuries among older adults.
The mere act of falling down leads to tens of thousands of deaths among adults 65 and over every year in the U.S., and even more hospitalizations. In Baltimore, where there are many older homes and row houses with steep staircases, falls leading to an emergency room visit occur more frequently than in the rest of Maryland on average, and the city's recently launched fall-reduction strategy aims to utilize hospital data to quickly identify neighborhoods – and even exact locations – where falls are most frequent.
“Real-time data allows us to pinpoint areas of concern and to evaluate interventions immediately,” Dr. Wen says. “We need data quickly, and we are facing challenges that are really life-and-death. We have to be able to implement in real time.”