Organized by the Touro Research Collaborative, Touro College Research Day is being held from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 3, at the Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine and the Touro College of Pharmacy campus at 230 West 125th Street in Harlem.

Current practice guidelines recommend that everyone over age 65 should be screened for fall risk. “The purpose of the study was to determine if there was a need for fall screening in the outpatients setting in younger people,” says Joseph Hayes, Jr. DPT, Associate Professor of Physical Therapy at Touro College School of Health Sciences. “We were concerned about those under age 65, who may be at risk for falls.”

The study also compared a quick 10-minute balance screening test, called the Brief BESTest (BBT), with other standard but more time-consuming screening tests to see if the shorter test was as accurate as the more comprehensive ones.

Physical therapists screened 45 patients between the ages of 21 to 89, who were being treated with physical therapy. They used the BTT as well as four other standard balance measures.

They found that for women under 65, there was a benefit to screen for falls but not for men. As patients got older, their fall scores did get worse. They also found that the Brief BESTest was as valid as the longer tests, making the test a helpful tool for faster routine screening.

“It may be helpful to screen women of any age for the risk of falls,” says Dr. Hayes. “We’re continuing the study and hoping to break risk down more by age.”

About the Touro College and University System                                                             

Touro is a system of non-profit institutions of higher and professional education. Touro College was chartered in 1970 primarily to enrich the Jewish heritage, and to serve the larger American and global community. Approximately 18,000 students are currently enrolled in its various schools and divisions. Touro College has 29 branch campuses, locations and instructional sites in the New York area, as well as branch campuses and programs in Berlin, Jerusalem and Moscow. New York Medical College; Touro University California and its Nevada branch campus; Touro University Worldwide and its Touro College Los Angeles division; as well as Hebrew Theological College in Skokie, Ill. are separately accredited institutions within the Touro College and University System. For further information on Touro College, please go to: http://www.touro.edu/news/

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