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Analysis of Fall Incident Rate among Hospitalized Korean Children Using Big Data
1Department of Nursing, College of Health and Welfare, Gangneung-Wonju National University, South Korea.
Insights
Hospitalized children in South Korea experienced a fall rate of 0.10 per 1000 patient days. Boys and younger children (1-9 years) were more prone to falls, with some resulting in injuries.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric patient safety
- Healthcare quality improvement
- Epidemiology of hospital-acquired injuries
Background:
- Hospitalized children face unique safety risks.
- Understanding fall incidents is crucial for pediatric patient safety.
- Previous data on pediatric falls in South Korea is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the national fall rate among hospitalized children in South Korea.
- To identify demographic and incident characteristics of pediatric falls.
- To inform strategies for enhancing patient safety in pediatric care.
Main Methods:
- Secondary analysis of patient safety reports from the Korean Patient Safety Reporting & Learning System (KOPS).
- Inclusion of data from the National Health Insurance Corporation for children aged 0-19 years.
- Study period: January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2018.
Main Results:
- 117 (16.2%) of 723 reported safety accidents were fall incidents.
- The fall rate was 0.10 per 1000 patient days.
- Falls were more common in boys (62.4%) and younger children aged 1-9 years (68.4%).
- Approximately 16% of falls resulted in temporary or long-term damage.
Conclusions:
- The study establishes a national benchmark for pediatric fall rates in South Korean hospitals.
- Younger male children represent a higher-risk group for falls.
- Healthcare providers must be aware of these characteristics to improve pediatric patient safety and care quality.
Purpose:
This study was conducted to identify the characteristics of fall incidents and fall rate among hospitalized children in South Korea.
Design And Methods:
A secondary analysis was carried out using patient safety reports for those aged 0-19 years from Korean Patient Safety Reporting & Learning System (KOPS) and the National Health Insurance Corporation from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2018.
Results:
A total of 723 safety accidents were reported to KOPS in 2018, of which 461 (63.8%) were medication errors and 117 (16.2%) were fall incidents. The fall rate of hospitalized children was 0.10 per 1000 patient days. By gender, boys were more affected (62.4%), and by age, 80 (68.4%) were aged 1-9 years. About 16% of children who sustained falls incurred temporary or long-term damage.
Conclusion:
The findings demonstrate the national-level fall rate of hospitalized children as well as various features of safety accidents including pediatric falls that occurred in Korean children's hospitals. Younger children, and particularly boys, were likely to experience more falls than older children and girls, respectively.
Practice Implications:
Nurses and other healthcare providers should recognize the important features of fall incidents among hospitalized children to ensure better quality of care and patient safety.
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Purposes:
In the healthcare industry, reports play a crucial role in documenting incidents within an agency. The primary objective of these reports is to ensure patient safety, uphold the...