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Reliability and Validity of a Pediatric Fall Risk Assessment Scale for Hospitalized Patients in Taiwan
Ching-Mei Chang1, Cheng-Fan Wen, Hsien-Feng Lin
1Department of Nursing, Hungkuang University, Shalu District, Taichung City, Taiwan (ROC) (Dr Chang); Joint Commission of Taiwan, Taipei, Taiwan (ROC) (Ms Wen); and Department of Family Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan (ROC) (Dr Lin).
Insights
A new pediatric fall assessment scale (PFAS) demonstrates good reliability and validity for identifying hospitalized children at high risk of falls. This tool can improve fall prevention programs for pediatric inpatients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric healthcare research
- Clinical assessment tools
- Patient safety
Background:
- Existing fall risk scales are primarily designed for adults, limiting their effectiveness in pediatric populations.
- Accurate prediction and prevention of falls in hospitalized children remain a significant clinical challenge.
- Development of a validated pediatric-specific fall risk assessment scale is crucial for enhancing patient safety.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the reliability and validity of a novel pediatric fall assessment scale (PFAS).
- To determine the scale's effectiveness in identifying hospitalized pediatric patients at high risk for falls.
Main Methods:
- A cohort study design was employed in Taichung City, Taiwan.
- The pediatric fall assessment scale (PFAS) underwent analysis for internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and construct validity.
- Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was utilized to assess the scale's predictive performance, including sensitivity and specificity.
Main Results:
- The pediatric fall assessment scale (PFAS) exhibited strong test-retest reliability (0.89, P = .000).
- The area under the ROC curve was 0.797, indicating good predictive ability.
- With a threshold of 11.5 points, the scale achieved 71.8% sensitivity and 74.6% specificity for high fall risk.
Conclusions:
- The pediatric fall assessment scale (PFAS) is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing fall risk in hospitalized pediatric patients.
- The findings suggest the PFAS can be effectively implemented in Taiwan and potentially in other international healthcare settings to improve pediatric fall prevention strategies.
Background And Objectives:
A valid fall risk assessment scale could increase the efficacy of fall prevention programs. Most fall scales were developed for adults, and it is very difficult to predict and prevent falls in pediatric inpatients. This study aimed to investigate the reliability and validity of a pediatric fall assessment scale (PFAS).
Methods:
This study was conducted as a cohort study in Taichung City, Taiwan. We analyzed the scale for internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and construct validity. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was generated to show sensitivity and specificity for predicting falls.
Results:
The results indicated that test-retest reliability was 0.89 (P = .000). The area under the ROC curve was 0.797. For the ROC curves for the pediatric fall risk assessment scale, with 11.5 points being the minimum score for a high risk of fall, sensitivity was 71.8%, specificity 74.6%, and the 95% CI was 0.746-0.848.
Conclusion:
The results of the data analysis showed that the PFAS is an appropriate scale for assessing the fall risk of hospitalized pediatric patients in Taiwan and potentially in other nations.
