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Reducing falls in the inpatient hospital setting
1Medical University of South Carolina, College of Nursing, Charleston, South Carolina, United States.
International Journal of Evidence-Based Healthcare
|July 21, 2017
Summary
Implementing consistent bed/chair alarm use and patient risk stratification significantly reduced inpatient falls by 44.5%. This quality improvement project highlights effective falls prevention strategies for medical-surgical units.
Area of Science:
- Quality Improvement
- Patient Safety
- Evidence-Based Practice
Background:
- Inpatient falls pose a significant risk to patient safety.
- Effective fall prevention strategies are crucial for medical-surgical units.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce and assess a process change to reduce patient fall rates.
- To evaluate the impact of enhanced falls prevention protocols on an inpatient unit.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice.
- Implemented a 3-month pilot project on a 38-bed medical-surgical unit.
- Provided staff education on falls prevention and emphasized consistent use of bed/chair alarms for at-risk patients.
Main Results:
- Preintervention fall rate averaged 8.67 falls/1000 patient days.
- Postintervention fall rate averaged 5.07 falls/1000 patient days.
- Achieved a 44.5% decrease in average monthly falls.
Conclusions:
- Education and consistent risk stratification for alarm use are key components of falls prevention.
- Evidence-based interventions can effectively reduce patient falls in acute care settings.
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