Falling is a common issue among the older persons. Although assessing and reducing medications can help prevent falls, this method is not optimally utilised due to its complexity.
Lotta Seppala developed a dedicated tool for health care professionals to taper medications: STOPPFall. The tool is currently used by many geriatricians across Europe. With the Starting Grant, Lotta will update STOPPFall to align with the newest guidelines and provide optimal patient care.
User-friendly With STOPPFall 2.0, she aims to improve public health by enhancing medication assessments, promoting patient safety and potentially reducing healthcare costs. Lotta: ‘I want to create STOPPFall 2.0, a user-friendly website with input from health experts. The site should be accessible to everyone, from students to doctors to older adults.’
‘It is relevant for healthcare providers, researchers, policymakers and older adults and can be integrated into clinical guidelines. The project encompasses five phases: from gathering information from health professionals to understand their needs to sharing findings through publications and collaborations.’
About the Spinoza Fund
The Spinoza Fund is part of and managed by the Amsterdam University Fund (AUF). Its mission is to promote medical assistance and science, including by providing travel grants and project subsidies. This initiative allows talented (young) UvA researchers to initiate their research and further develop their scientific careers.
New call in 2024
The next call for the Starting Grant will be launched in 2024, probably in spring. Interested young scientists can find additional information on this website (will be updated this spring). Contact address: rs-startstipendium@amsterdamumc.nl.