Talk to the Veterans Crisis Line now
U.S. flag
An official website of the United States government

Office of Research & Development

print icon sign up for VA Research updates

Quick Links

  • Health Programs
  • Protect your health
  • Learn more: A-Z Health
Veterans Crisis Line Badge
thumbnail

VA Research Currents archive

Ongoing research

Walking study shows 'it's feasible and safe to get patients out of bed'


Posted July 16, 2013
(Summer 2013 VA Research Currents)

thumbnail

Veteran George Murphy of Pinson, Ala., is guided by Dr. Cynthia J. Brown as he participates in a fall-prevention clinic at the Birmingham VA Medical Center. (Photo by Joseph De Sciose)

Related article: Researchers study the effects of low mobility on older hospital patients-and seek ways to get them moving more

Dr. Cynthia J. Brown wanted to prove her skeptics wrong when she launched a study of a walking intervention a couple of years ago.

"I have heard—till I'm blue in the face from trying to hold it in and not get mad at people—�You're going to make them fall. You can't let them out of bed.' That's why we did the study."

The trial included 100 older inpatients at the Birmingham VA Medical Center. The Veterans were randomized to one of two groups:

  • The control group received care as usual, plus a "friendly visit" twice a day. A study team member came by simply to engage the patient in conversation.
  • In the intervention group, each patient was visited twice daily by a team member who used motivational interviewing to try and engage the person in walking. The study personnel helped the Veterans to walk. They provided canes or other aids as needed. They also encouraged patients to set goals—such as walking up and back to the nursing station—"whatever was safe for them," says Brown. The next day, the staffers would follow up: "How did you do? Were you able to do what you planned?"

The results aren't published yet, but Brown shares that "we showed it was feasible. We were able to motivate people and convince them to walk in the hospital. We also showed it was safe. In terms of falls, which was everyone's concern, there were a total of three falls, in two patients, and they were both in the usual-care group."

In other words, prodding patients to walk, and getting them excited about doing so, did not increase their risk of falling. As Brown had confidently predicted, those fears did not materialize.

The researchers also found that in the month after discharge, those who had been in the intervention group had less difficulty getting around their communities.

Another lesson gleaned from the study may be especially relevant for today's economic times: In most cases, it doesn't take a trained health professional to assist an older patient with walking. "It doesn't even have to be a hospital employee at all," notes Brown. "It could be a volunteer or a family member."

She notes that some instances require extra caution—for example, a patient who is very heavy, trying to walk aided by his 100-pound spouse. But in general, she says, "Families want to help—they just need to know what they can do. We need to do a better job of communicating that to them."