Evaluation of a Patient-Centered Fall-Prevention Tool Kit to Reduce Falls and Injuries: A Nonrandomized Controlled...

Area of Science:

• Healthcare quality and safety
• Patient fall prevention strategies
• Evidence-based nursing interventions

Background:

• Hospitalization increases fall risk, leading to severe injuries and mortality.
• Existing multifactorial strategies effectively reduce falls but lack evidence for injury prevention.
• There is a critical need for interventions to prevent fall-related injuries in acute care settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a fall-prevention tool kit designed to engage patients and families.
• To determine if the tool kit reduces the incidence of patient falls and injurious falls during hospitalization.

Main Methods:

• A nonrandomized controlled trial with a stepped wedge design was employed.
• The study included 14 medical units across 3 academic medical centers from November 2015 to October 2018.
• A nurse-led tool kit integrated evidence-based interventions with continuous patient and family engagement.

Main Results:

• Implementation of the fall-prevention tool kit resulted in a 15% adjusted reduction in overall patient falls.
• A significant 34% adjusted reduction in injurious falls was observed post-intervention.
• The study analyzed data from 37,231 adult inpatients.

Conclusions:

• The nurse-led fall-prevention tool kit effectively reduced both falls and fall-related injuries in hospitalized patients.
• A collaborative partnership between the patient-care team, patients, and families is crucial for preventing falls and injuries.
• This intervention demonstrates a significant advancement in hospital patient safety.