Transforming falls prevention in NSW
- Institute for Musculoskeletal Health
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
Falls are the leading cause of injury-related hospitalisations among older Australians, yet New South Wales has no coordinated prevention strategy. The 2023 NSW Falls Prevention White Paper, supported by the Clinical Excellence Commission, highlighted this gap and called for a systems-level response to address the fragmentation of falls prevention efforts.
Dr Marina Pinheiro and team have been awarded an Australian Public Policy Institute (APPI) Policy Challenge Grant to transform falls prevention in NSW. The project brings together experts in public health, health economics, and systems modelling to fill that gap.
The drivers of falls risk are multifactorial, cutting across social, behavioural, environmental, and health system factors. Real progress demands a coordinated effort across government, health, aged care, housing, transport, sport, and community services working together.
Using an advanced system dynamics model co-designed with policymakers and health agencies, the project will simulate how different prevention strategies, such as community exercise programs, home safety initiatives, or early screening, affect health outcomes, costs, and equity across NSW. The model will help decision-makers identify which combinations of interventions deliver the greatest impact and value for money.
Working in partnership with the NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation, Clinical Excellence Commission, Sax Institute, and other key stakeholders, the project will deliver a policy-ready decision-support tool and clear, evidence-based guidance for planning and investment.
Ultimately, the project aims to reduce preventable falls, hospitalisations, and aged-care admissions, improving quality of life for older people and supporting a more sustainable health system for NSW.
The team and partners for this project include: Prof Cathie Sherrington (USYD), Prof Andrew Milat (ACI), Prof Adrian Bauman (USYD), Dr Danielle Currie (Sax Institute), Prof Kirsten Howard (USYD), Peter McCue (UNSW), Dr Saman Khalatbari-Soltani (USYD), Matthew Jennings (SWSLHD), Dr Louise Pearce (USYD), Jenni Johnson (ACI), Prof Chris Maher (USYD) and Prof Camille Raynes-Greenow (USYD).
