Close up image of a caretaker helping older woman walk

Fall-prevention education can help reduce the number of emergency-department visits and healthcare costs in Connecticut, a state-funded report found.

Researchers examined the rate of fall-related injuries from 2004 to 2006 among state residents 70 and older in two Connecticut counties, according to the New Haven Register newspaper. In the county where physicians received information about fall-intervention practices, there was an 11% reduction in fall-related medical services. The other county received no fall-prevention education.

The reduction in falls translated into 1,800 fewer ED visits and hospital admissions, and a $21 million reduction in acute-care costs.