ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Health Serv.
Sec. Implementation Science
Implementing STEADI for Routine Falls Prevention of all Older Adults Attending Outpatient Physical Therapy: Key Partner Perspectives
Provisionally accepted
- 1University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences - Northwest, Fayetteville, United States
- 2Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, United States
- 3University of Pittsburg, Pittsburg, United States
- 4University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, United States
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Introduction: Falls are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among older adults. Despite Prevention initiatives have been researched primarily in medical care. There is a dearth of studies on falls prevention in other primary care settings, such as outpatient physical therapy (PT). The purpose of this exploratory mixed methods study was to identify key partners' perceived barriers and facilitators to implementing the CDC's Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths, and Injuries (STEADI) falls-prevention initiative as routine care for older adults receiving outpatient PT. Materials and Methods: Using a sequential explanatory mixed methods design, we collected surveys assessing familiarity, acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility of STEADI and falls prevention, followed by semi-structured interviews to explore barriers and facilitators. Participants included physical therapy providers (n=16), physicians (n=5), administrative staff (n=3), patients (n=10), and care partners (n=10). Quantitative data were summarized descriptively, and qualitative data were analyzed using rapid thematic analysis mapped to the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research 2.0. Results: Participants found STEADI acceptable, appropriate, and feasible for integration into routine outpatient PT. Barriers among therapists included time constraints and limited familiarity with STEADI while interest in learning and implementing STEADI and perceived compatibility were facilitators. Physicians supported therapists but expressed concerns about scope of practice and challenges with communication jargon. Administrative staff were willing to assist patients with screening. Patients and care partners were receptive to STEADI but anticipated that some older adults might resist participation.
Keywords: Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, Evidence-Based Practice, implementation science, injury prevention, mixed methods, Rehabilitation
Received: 03 Oct 2025; Accepted: 18 Dec 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Vincenzo, Wingood, Council, Scott, Brach and Curran. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Jennifer L. Vincenzo
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