Prediction of Falls in Acute Care Using The Morse Fall Risk Scale

Area of Science:

• Healthcare quality and patient safety
• Gerontology and geriatric care
• Clinical nursing and hospital administration

Background:

• Patient falls in acute care settings are a significant issue, leading to increased patient harm and healthcare expenses.
• The Morse Fall Risk Scale is a widely adopted tool for assessing fall risk in hospitalized patients.
• Effective fall risk prediction is crucial for implementing targeted prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the adequacy of the Morse Fall Risk Scale in predicting patient falls within a large acute care hospital.
• To identify additional predictors of fall risk in the hospital setting.
• To examine the relationship between patient falls and hospital length of stay.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study analyzing data from a 300+ bed acute care hospital over a four-month period.
• Utilized multivariate regression and Chi-Square test statistics to analyze fall risk predictors.
• Included patient demographics, diagnoses, and Morse Fall Risk Scale scores in the analysis.

Main Results:

• The Morse Fall Risk Scale was confirmed as a significant predictor of patient fall risk.
• Male gender and specific diagnoses (neurologic, cardiac, general medical/surgical) were also identified as significant predictors of fall risk.
• Patients who experienced falls had a statistically significant longer hospital stay compared to those who did not fall.

Conclusions:

• The Morse Fall Risk Scale is an adequate tool for predicting fall risk in acute care settings.
• Integrating demographic and diagnostic data can enhance fall risk assessments.
• Occupational therapy's role in comprehensive fall assessment, prevention, and discharge planning is vital for reducing patient falls and associated costs.