Staffing Utilization and Fall Prevention With an Electronic Surveillance Video System: A Randomized Controlled Study

Area of Science:

• Nursing research
• Patient safety
• Healthcare technology

Background:

• Limited research exists on optimizing hospital staffing and technology use to minimize patient falls.
• Falls during hospitalization are a significant concern, impacting patient outcomes and healthcare costs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the impact of two distinct staffing models on patient falls within an inpatient medical unit.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of an electronic surveillance system, with and without a dedicated rounder, in reducing falls.

Main Methods:

• A randomized study design was employed, assigning patients to either electronic surveillance with a dedicated rounder or electronic surveillance alone.
• Patient falls were meticulously tracked and analyzed over a defined study period.

Main Results:

• A total of 8 falls were recorded among 1032 patients over three months.
• The group without a dedicated rounder experienced 6 falls, while the group with a dedicated rounder had 2 falls.
• While not statistically significant, the observed trend suggested a potential clinical benefit of the dedicated rounder model.

Conclusions:

• The study's findings support the integration of a dedicated rounder, functioning as a mobility technician.
• This role aims to enhance nursing staff support and provide a valuable resource for patients at risk of falling.
• Further investigation into optimized staffing and technology integration for fall prevention is warranted.