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Cost-effectiveness of Morse Fall Scale assessment in fall prevention care in hospitalized patients
Xiaofang Huang1, Jin Yan2, Tubao Yang3
1Department of Nursing, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410013. 447520778@qq.com.
Objectives:
To analyze the cost-effectiveness of the Morse Fall Scale by clinical big data for nurses in the prevention of falls in hospitalized patients.
Methods:
A total of 59 358 hospitalized patients, who came from the Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University in 1 year before nurses were trained by the Morse Fall Scale, served as a control, including 26 862 males and 32 496 females. While the 66 203 hospitalized patients served as an observation group in 1 year after nurses were trained by the Morse Fall Scale, including 29 881 males and 36 322 females. The time spent by clinical nurses in the fall-risk assessment and the fall number were recorded in the 2 groups, and the relationship was analyzed between the Morse Fall Scale assessment and the clinical ending along with the labor cost of nursing. The cost-effectiveness was analyzed. In addition, the incidence of fall in the observation group was compared between the falling high-risk patients and the non-high-risk patients.
Results:
The Morse Fall Scale showed that the incidences of fall in the observation group and the control group were 3.39/100 000 and 3.82/100 000,respectively, there was no significant difference between the 2 groups (U=0.807, P>0.05); the injury rates of falls of Grade 2 and above in the observation group and the control group were 27.30% and 20.00%, respectively, with no significant difference (χ2=0.345, P>0.05); but the labor cost was increased by 130 641.82 Chinses Yuan, and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was 43 547.27. However, the incidence of fall was significant higher in the falling high-risk patients by the assessment of the Morse Fall Scale than that in the non-high-risk patients (U=2.941, P<0.05).
Conclusions:
The evaluation of the Morse Fall Scale has a certain effect, but it is limited in the prevention of falls in adult hospitalized patients, and the cost-effectiveness analysis is not good. It is recommended to implement the intervention measures for high-risk patients after the assessment, which may improve the management level and efficiency of fall prevention.
