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Updated: Jan 30, 2026
Design and Analysis for Fall Detection System Simplification
Published on: April 6, 2020
Falls in Hospital Causing Injury
Lieu Thi Thuy Trinh1,2, Hassan Assareh1,2, Michael Wood1,2
1Clinical Governance Unit, Nepean Blue Mountain Local Health District, Sydney, Australia.
Aims:
To describe falls causing injury, types of injuries, and the reporting of these falls.
Methods:
Administrative and incident reporting datasets between July 2012 and June 2017 were analyzed.
Results:
Using both datasets, 5,653 falls were identified (3.7 per 1,000 bed-days). Administrative and incident datasets accounted for 40.8% (2,299) and 84.4% (4,752) of falls, respectively. More than half the falls in the administrative data required only observation/examination (1,221 falls; 53.1%, 0.8 per 1,000 bed-days). The remaining 1,078 falls (46.9%; 0.7 per 1,000 bed-days) caused 1,533 injuries (1.0 per 1,000 bed-days). Most injuries happened in patients who were 65 years or older (73.9%), during the first episode of care (79.0%), in the acute care setting (70.4%), or on the same level (60.1%). The most common injuries were to the head (33.3%). Some injuries were serious (169; 11.0%; 0.11 per 1,000 bed-days). Falls resulting in injury in older patients, with a more severe medical condition and at smaller hospitals, were more likely to be recorded in the incident reporting system whereas subsequent falls were less likely to be recorded.
Conclusions:
Fewer than half of the falls recorded in administrative data resulted in injuries. A tenth of all falls caused serious injuries.
Insights
Fewer than half of patient falls resulted in injury, but a tenth of all falls caused serious harm. Incident reporting captured more severe injuries, especially in older patients and smaller hospitals.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare quality and safety research
- Patient safety and incident reporting analysis
- Epidemiology of falls in healthcare settings
Background:
- Patient falls are a significant safety concern in healthcare.
- Accurate reporting of falls and injuries is crucial for quality improvement.
- Understanding injury patterns and reporting discrepancies is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize falls causing injury, the types of injuries sustained, and how these events are reported.
- To compare fall reporting between administrative and incident reporting systems.
- To identify factors associated with injury-producing falls and their reporting.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of administrative and incident reporting datasets from July 2012 to June 2017.
- Identification and categorization of 5,653 falls based on data source and injury status.
- Statistical analysis to determine injury rates, types, demographics, and reporting system differences.
Main Results:
- 5,653 falls were identified, with incident reporting capturing a higher proportion of injury-related falls.
- Over half of falls in administrative data caused no injury, while 46.9% resulted in 1,533 injuries.
- Injuries were most common in older patients (≥65 years), during the first episode of care, in acute care settings, and on the same level, with head injuries being most frequent.
- Serious injuries occurred in 11.0% of falls.
- Falls in older patients, those with severe conditions, and at smaller hospitals were more likely to be reported in incident systems.
Conclusions:
- Less than half of falls documented in administrative data led to injuries.
- Approximately 10% of all patient falls resulted in serious injuries.
- Incident reporting systems appear to capture more severe fall-related injuries, particularly in vulnerable patient populations and specific healthcare settings.
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