Development of an Automated Self-assessment of Fall Risk Questionnaire for Hospitalized Patients

Area of Science:

• Healthcare quality improvement
• Patient safety research
• Nursing informatics

Background:

• Hospital falls pose a significant risk to patient well-being and increase healthcare costs.
• Current multifactorial fall prevention strategies often lack active patient involvement.
• Effective patient engagement is crucial for successful fall risk assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a patient self-assessment fall risk questionnaire.
• To integrate this tool into an interactive patient care system for enhanced engagement.
• To evaluate the reliability and validity of patient-led fall risk assessment.

Main Methods:

• Customization of a fall risk questionnaire for a computer-based, interactive patient care system.
• Implementation of the questionnaire within the hospital's television-equipped system.
• Assessment of the questionnaire's reliability and validity for patient and nurse use.

Main Results:

• The patient self-assessment questionnaire was successfully customized and integrated.
• The tool effectively engages patients in evaluating their own fall risk.
• The questionnaire demonstrated reliability and validity for both patient and nursing assessments.

Conclusions:

• Patient self-assessment of fall risk is a feasible and effective strategy.
• Integrating patient self-assessment into interactive systems enhances engagement and accuracy.
• This approach offers a valuable addition to hospital fall prevention programs.