Individualized Fall Prevention Program in an Acute Care Setting: An Evidence-Based Practice Improvement.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Quality Improvement
• Patient Safety Research
• Nursing Practice

Background:

• A 245-bed community hospital identified patient fall prevention as a critical patient safety priority.
• The existing fall prevention program demonstrated inconsistent effectiveness, with a baseline fall rate exceeding national medians.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate and enhance a hospital's fall prevention program.
• To reduce the patient fall rate through evidence-based practice.

Main Methods:

• An interprofessional team utilized the evidence-based practice improvement model.
• Developed an individualized fall prevention program based on a clinical practice guideline and a 4-category fall risk algorithm.
• Implemented interventions including nurse-driven mobility assessment, hourly rounding, and video monitoring for high-risk patients.

Main Results:

• The patient fall rate decreased significantly from 3.21 to 1.14.
• Achieved a 72% reduction in fall-related expenses, primarily due to decreased sitter usage.

Conclusions:

• An interprofessional team successfully implemented an evidence-based fall prevention program.
• The enhanced program led to a substantial reduction in patient falls and improved hospital efficiency.