Technology evaluation for a mobile fall-injury risk assessment instrument

Area of Science:

• Patient Safety
• Clinical Informatics
• Health Technology

Background:

• Inpatient falls and injuries remain a significant patient safety challenge.
• An automated fall-injury risk assessment (FIRA) instrument was developed at New York-Presbyterian Hospital (NYP).
• The existing FIRA instrument is integrated into a desktop-based clinical information system.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate criteria for hardware, software, and wireless communication options.
• To assess the feasibility of a mobile version of the FIRA instrument.
• To enhance the accessibility and utility of fall-risk assessment in inpatient settings.

Main Methods:

• Focus on evaluation criteria for mobile technology components.
• Assessment of hardware specifications for mobile devices.
• Analysis of software requirements and wireless communication protocols for a mobile FIRA system.

Main Results:

• Criteria for hardware, software, and wireless communication were identified.
• The study lays the groundwork for developing and implementing a mobile FIRA instrument.
• Evaluation metrics for mobile technology integration were established.

Conclusions:

• A mobile version of the FIRA instrument could improve patient safety by enabling real-time risk assessment.
• Further development and evaluation of mobile technology are necessary for successful implementation.
• Optimizing mobile solutions is key to addressing the ongoing challenge of inpatient falls.