Haran 2010.

Study characteristics
Methods	RCT
Participants	Setting: Sydney and Illawarra regions, New South Wales, Australia N = 606 Sample: sample from electoral roll; residents of retirement villages; outpatients and inpatients discharged from rehabilitation and orthopaedic ward; responders to advertising etc (65% women) Age (years): mean 80 (SD 6.6) Inclusion criteria: community‐dwelling; at a relatively high risk of falls (≥ 80 years, or 65 to 79 and TUG test ≥ 15 sec and/or ≥ 1 fall in past 12 mo); using bifocal, trifocal, or progressive lens glasses ≥ 3 x per wk when walking outdoors; reviewed by an optometrist or ophthalmologist in previous 24 months; "quite or very confident" that they could comply with the study recommendations Exclusion criteria: using single lens distance glasses; residing in high‐care residential facility; cognitive impairment (MMSE < 24); severe visual impairment (MET < 16 dB); insufficient English language skills; ophthalmic surgery planned in the next 12 months; unstable medical condition
Interventions	1. Optometrist examination; prescribed single lens distance glasses for use in most walking or standing activities and given advice on use of their glasses 2. Control: used their multifocal glasses in their usual manner (no advice) All participants received an optometry assessment and updated multifocal glasses (if required) at baseline
Outcomes	1. Rate of falls 2. Number of people falling 3. Number sustaining fall‐related fractures Other outcomes reported but not included in this review
Duration of the study	13 months
Notes
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Low risk	Quote: "Each stratum was randomly allocated in permuted blocks of 10 generated externally (by JS)" a professor of statistics
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Low risk	Quote: "by using sequentially numbered opaque sealed envelopes containing group assignment"
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	Both groups received an intervention, i.e. an optometrist examination and updated multifocal lens prescription if required. The intervention group were prescribed a pair of single lens distance glasses and advice.
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) Falls and fallers	Low risk	Monthly calendars and follow‐up telephone calls as required. Research personnel who received the calendars and made the calls were blinded to group allocation.
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) Fractures	High risk	Injurious falls were defined as those that resulted in fractures, dislocations, and organ and soft tissue trauma. These were collected as self report from the monthly calendars and telephone calls and not verified from primary source.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) Falls	Low risk	SeeAppendix 3 for method of assessment
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) Fallers	Low risk	SeeAppendix 3 for method of assessment
Risk of bias in recall of falls	Low risk	Daily diaries returned monthly with a follow‐up phone call if not returned