Identifying the practice patterns of optometrists in providing falls prevention management: A mixed-methods systematic review protocol

ObjectiveThe objective of this systematic review is to synthesise the best available evidence for optometrists practice patterns in providing falls prevention management. IntroductionFalls remain the main cause of injury-related hospitalisation and mortality in Australia and worldwide, significantly affecting older adults. The increased risk of comorbidities, including visual impairment in this cohort is linked to a higher incidence of falls. Despite being primary eye care practitioners, community optometrists may not consistently integrate falls prevention strategies into their practice. Furthermore, the extent to which they adhere to evidence-based recommendations for falls management remains unclear. Inclusion criteriaThe review will include optometrists, in regions where optometry is a regulated profession, and report their understanding and practice patterns in delivering falls prevention management to older community-dwelling adults. Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods studies will be eligible for inclusion. It is envisioned that most studies will be qualitative. Studies published in English and those published from 1980 onwards will be eligible for inclusion since published evidence for falls prevention began to increase sharply around this time. MethodsThe review will follow the JBI guidelines for mixed methods systematic reviews and will be developed and reported in accordance with PRISMA-P guidelines. Databases that will be searched are Excerpta Medica Database (Embase), Scopus, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) Complete, and OVID MEDLINE. Grey literature will be searched through Conference Proceedings Citation Index (Web of Science), Google Scholar, and ProQuest Dissertations databases. Two reviewers will independently conduct all screening and critical appraisal. The reviewers will screen all articles titles and abstracts retrieved from the searches to determine potential eligibility. All full-text articles considered relevant will then be assessed for final eligibility for inclusion. The final included articles will be assessed for methodological rigour using the JBI SUMARI critical appraisal tools, subsequently, all relevant data will be extracted. Discrepancies at any stage of the procedures will be resolved through discussion and consensus with a third senior researcher. A convergent integrated approach to synthesising and integrating the quantitative and qualitative data will be followed. Review registration CRD42024539668