Abstract
The purpose of this manual is to outline procedures for evaluating pedestrian environments around locations where older adults have fallen using a virtual audit tool, Fall-SAFE. This data collection protocol and manual contains details on audit procedures, explanations for how to assess each environmental feature using Fall-SAFE, and auditor training.
Fall-SAFE was developed based on two literature searches conducted in April 2020: 1) to identify street environment features associated with falls among older adults (n=28 features), and 2) to identify existing audit tools and questions used to assess street environment features (n=19 audit tools).
Functionality and interrater reliability of the Fall-SAFE virtual audit tool were assessed using fall locations contained within a dataset from Hato Hone St John (the main ambulance service in New Zealand). The Fall-SAFE audit tool items largely showed “moderate” to “almost perfect” interrater reliability. Full details on Fall-SAFE tool development are available in Pocock et al. (2023).