UBC Okanagan Economic Analysis Finds Fall Prevention Clinics Deliver Up to 2,700% Return on Investment for Healthcare Systems

UBC Okanagan research shows fall prevention clinics reduce injuries by 36% and save nearly $1M annually, providing a massive return on healthcare investment.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 14, 2026, 6:16 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from University of British Columbia Okanagan campus

The Economic Urgency of Geriatric Injury Prevention

Falls represent the primary cause of injury and hospitalization for adults over the age of 65, creating a compounding crisis for families and a massive financial burden on the public health system. Dr. Jennifer Davis, a Canada Research Chair in Applied Health Economics at UBC Okanagan, argues that the current reactive model of treating fractures after they occur is no longer sustainable. Her research, published in Maturitas, suggests that shifting resources toward proactive prevention is not just a clinical necessity but an economic imperative. By identifying high risk individuals before they suffer a catastrophic injury, healthcare systems can avoid the expensive cycle of emergency intervention and long term institutionalization.

Measuring the Return on Specialized Geriatric Care

The study conducted a 12 month cost analysis of the Falls Prevention Clinic at Vancouver General Hospital, a research driven facility that handles some of the most vulnerable older adults. On average, patients arriving at the clinic have experienced three falls in the preceding year. Dr. Davis found that every dollar invested in this specific care model yielded returns ranging from 500% to 2,700%. This transformational return on investment is driven by the clinic’s ability to keep seniors independent, thereby reducing the frequency of costly emergency room visits and delaying the need for transition into long term care facilities.

The Impact of Physiotherapist Led Exercise Prescriptions

At the core of the clinic’s success is a personalized exercise regimen focusing on progressive strength and balance, delivered directly by physiotherapists. The data shows that this specific intervention reduced additional falls by 36% among high risk participants. Dr. Davis highlights that while the healthcare system already possesses a geriatrician based framework, the simple addition of a physiotherapist to deliver exercise prescriptions is the catalyst for significant gains. With a physiotherapist's salary cost of approximately $103,000, the clinic was able to generate estimated annual healthcare savings of $956,288 in 2020 alone.