Call to Action: Addressing Pediatric Fall Safety in Ambulatory Environments

Pediatric falls in the ambulatory environment are a patient safety concern. Historically, fall safety efforts have focused on inpatient settings and are not transferrable to ambulatory environments. Minimal research and absence of ambulatory-specific guidelines from regulatory and global benchmarking bodies contribute to the void of knowledge. Consequently, there has been minimal progress in developing fall reduction strategies for the ambulatory environment.

To review research evidence and findings from environmental assessments that included interprofessional stakeholder feedback to make recommendations for improving fall safety in the pediatric ambulatory environment.

Implementation science was employed in two large pediatric quaternary hospitals to identify existing gaps and provided the foundation for translation of findings in the development of fall safety practice recommendations in the ambulatory environment.

Recommendations from the findings included identified barriers and tangible interventions within three broad categories: equipment and furniture, environment, and people. Purposeful inclusion of all areas in the ambulatory environment, integration of high reliability concepts, and partnering with parents were identified as pertinent factors associated with these recommendations.

This call to action recognizes the importance of utilizing an evidence-based approach for improvement and provides a framework for conducting an environmental assessment, which is an essential starting point to improve fall safety in the pediatric ambulatory environment. Guidance and support from research, regulatory and collaborative bodies, and healthcare organizations remains a critical need in improving fall safety.