Fall Risk Prediction in Adults Using Durable Medical Equipment: A Comparative Analysis of STEADI and 3-Key Question STEADI

Falls among older adults are a leading cause of morbidity, mortality, and increased healthcare costs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths & Injuries (STEADI) initiative provides fall risk screening tools, including the full 12-item STEADI and its three-item key-question counterpart (3KQ-STEADI). However, limited research has evaluated these tools in populations using durable medical equipment (DME), a subgroup at elevated fall risk. This study examines the predictive validity of the STEADI and 3KQ-STEADI self-assessment questionnaires in a cohort receiving durable medical equipment. A total of 118 participants were followed for six months after DME issuance, and fall occurrences were recorded. Results indicate that both assessments demonstrate high sensitivity (97.4%) but low specificity (STEADI: 8.5%; 3KQ-STEADI: 2.8%), suggesting that while effective in identifying at-risk individuals, they over-classify fall risk. These findings highlight the need for refined risk stratification methods in clinical practice.