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Exploring and evaluating five paediatric falls assessment instruments and injury risk indicators: an ambispective
Kimberly Harvey1, Debra Kramlich, Joanne Chapman
1Center for Nursing Research and Quality Outcomes, Maine Medical Center, Portland, ME 04102, USA. harvek2@mmc.org
Insights
This study evaluated pediatric fall assessment tools, identifying key predictors like longer hospital stays and behavioral issues for fall risk in hospitalized children. Further research is needed for standardized assessments.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Patient Safety
- Healthcare Quality Improvement
- Clinical Risk Assessment
Background:
- Lack of validated pediatric-specific fall assessment instruments.
- Limited understanding of injury risk factors in hospitalized children's falls.
Purpose of the Study:
- Evaluate existing pediatric fall assessment tools.
- Develop a predictive model for falls in pediatric inpatients.
- Assess injury risk as a predictor of fall likelihood.
Main Methods:
- Ambispective, matched case-control study.
- Sample of 100 inpatient pediatric patients.
- Evaluation of five fall assessment instruments.
Main Results:
- Two of five instruments effectively classified children at risk for falls.
- Significant predictors of fall likelihood included longer length of stay, bleeding disorders, and behavioral issues.
- Cognitive impairment or neurological disease did not increase fall or injury risk in this cohort.
Conclusions:
- Further research is essential to standardize pediatric fall and injury risk assessments.
- Predictive modeling is crucial for developing reliable assessment measures.
- Findings highlight the importance of fall risk assessment for nursing managers to ensure patient safety and quality care.
Aim:
To evaluate currently available paediatric falls assessments instruments and to build a predictive fall model while also evaluating injury risk as a predictor of fall likelihood within the paediatric inpatient population.
Background:
There is lack of paediatric-specific fall assessment instruments and little information on the exploration of injury risk as related to falls in hospitalized children.
Method:
An ambispective, matched case-control design conducted in a sample of 100 inpatient paediatric patients. Results Two out of five instruments performed well to classify children at risk of falls. Longer length of stay, bleeding cautions/blood disorders and temperament/behaviour issues were significant predictors of fall likelihood. Cognitive impairment or neurological disease was not related to an increased likelihood of fall or injury risk for this sample.
Conclusions:
More research is required to institute and standardize paediatric fall and injury risk assessments for everyday use. The explicit approach of using predictive modelling is critical in creating a universal, baseline reference for the most reliable and valid measure of assessment in children.
Implications For Nursing Management:
Findings of the present study increase awareness of nursing managers and leaders as to the necessity for fall and injury risk assessment as a safety and quality measure for inpatient paediatric populations.
