Using a Fall Prevention Checklist to Reduce Hospital Falls: Results of a Quality Improvement Project

Area of Science:

• Quality Improvement
• Patient Safety
• Nursing Research

Background:

• Hospital-acquired falls pose a significant risk to patient safety.
• Existing fall prevention protocols require consistent adherence for maximum effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of a fall prevention checklist on adherence to a hospital protocol.
• To evaluate the effect of the checklist on patient fall incidence.

Main Methods:

• A 26-day quality improvement initiative was conducted.
• A 14-item checklist was used during nursing shift handoffs to verify fall prevention interventions.
• Data on intervention adherence and patient falls were collected.

Main Results:

• Thirty-seven nursing staff participated, completing 90 checklists.
• The most missed intervention was incorrect bed alarm settings (19%).
• No patient falls occurred during the pilot study period.

Conclusions:

• The checklist effectively identified areas for protocol improvement.
• Further research is needed to validate the checklist's impact on fall prevention.