The Prevention of Falls Network for Dissemination (ProFouND) is a new EU-funded Thematic Network dedicated to bring about the dissemination and implementation of best practice in falls prevention across Europe. ProFouND comprises 21 partners from 12 countries and associate members from a further 10 countries. It aims to influence policy to increase awareness of falls and innovative prevention programmes amongst health and social care authorities, the commercial sector, NGOs and the general public so as to facilitate communities of interest and disseminate the work of the network to target groups across the EU.
The activities of the Network will focus on three main areas:
- Collection of evidence-based resources used by professionals to inform the development and content of a online web-based expert system – ProFouND Falls Prevention Application (PFPApp).
- Development of training programme using face to face and e-learning approaches to create a cadre of accredited, evidence based, exercise trainers across Europe. These trainers will train others in their local regions to allow the roll out of exercise regimens that have been proven to reduce falls amongst older people.
- Creation of networks and organisation of events for stakeholders in the field of ICT and health to disseminate and support the development and adoption of these solutions.