Improving Neurology Inpatient Fall Rate: Effect of a Collaborative Interdisciplinary Quality Improvement Initiative.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare quality improvement
• Patient safety research
• Neurology nursing

Background:

• Unwitnessed inpatient falls pose a significant risk in hospital settings, particularly on neurology services.
• Existing fall prevention strategies may not adequately address the specific needs and challenges within neurology units.

Purpose of the Study:

• To decrease unwitnessed inpatient falls on neurology services by 20% within 15 months.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of a targeted fall prevention intervention in an academic medical center.

Main Methods:

• A preintervention survey assessed staff knowledge of fall prevention.
• Interventions included staff education on patient alarms and implementation of safety checklists.
• Fall rates were compared pre- and post-intervention, with a control group used for comparison.

Main Results:

• Unwitnessed falls decreased by 44% (from 2.74 to 1.53 per 1000 patient-days; P=.04).
• Staff demonstrated improved proficiency in operating fall prevention devices (P<.001).
• Falls with injury also decreased post-intervention.

Conclusions:

• A collaborative, multidisciplinary approach incorporating provider education and safety checklists can effectively reduce inpatient fall rates in neurology units.
• Targeted education on fall prevention devices is crucial for improving staff practice and patient safety.