The patients' perspective of sustaining a fall in hospital: A qualitative study

To understand the patient's perspective of falling in hospital.

A fall in hospital can affect a patient physically and psychologically, increasing their hospital length of stay and potentially putting them at risk of further complications. Despite a wealth of literature on falls that focuses on risk assessment, preventive interventions and cost, very little research has focused on the experience of the patient that has fallen, particularly within the acute hospital setting.

A qualitative phenomenological design was used to investigate the experience of falling in hospital.

Twelve hospital inpatients that had recently fallen were interviewed while in hospital using unstructured interviews. The methodology was guided by Van Manen's approach to data collection and analysis.

Three key themes emerged from the analysis: Feeling safe, Realising the risk and Recovering independence and identity. These themes describe a continuum whereby falling was not initially a concern to participants, who trusted staff to keep them safe, and tended to not seek assistance. As participants began to appreciate the reality of their falls risk, they felt disempowered by their loss of independence but were more receptive to receiving assistance. Finally, as participants recovered, their desire to regain independence increased. They wanted others to perceive them as physically competent, rather than as a frail older person, meaning they were more willing to take risks with mobility.

The participants' perspective of falling describes a continuum of responses with participants positioned at different psychosocial standpoints: from initial denial of their risk of falling to realisation of the importance of their fall and acceptance of its repercussions.

By understanding the patient's perspective of falling, nurses and other health professionals conducting risk assessment can tailor their discussions and interventions to the patient's perceptions and needs.