Falls among Pediatric Patients Receiving Home Care

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Home Healthcare
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Children with medical complexity (CMC) require ongoing home healthcare for chronic conditions.
• Home safety evaluations are crucial during hospital-to-home transitions, yet falls still occur.
• Identifying fall prevalence and causes in CMC is vital for effective prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the demographics and fall-related factors in CMC receiving home healthcare.
• To analyze data from an incident reporting system to understand fall events.
• To inform the development of targeted fall prevention interventions.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of an incident reporting database (January 2019 - March 2023).
• Inclusion criteria: CMC receiving home healthcare with at least one documented fall.
• Data collected on participant demographics, diagnoses, and fall circumstances.

Main Results:

• 31 CMC experienced 43 falls; predominantly male (58.1%), White (71.0%), median age 10 years.
• Common diagnoses included neurological disorders (41.9%), chromosomal abnormalities (25.8%), and cancer (16.1%).
• Primary fall causes: loss of balance (32.6%), unknown (19.6%), and trips/slips (17.4%); 50% deemed potentially preventable.

Conclusions:

• Falls in CMC receiving home healthcare are multifactorial, influenced by demographics and diagnoses.
• Understanding fall characteristics is essential for creating proactive prevention strategies.
• Further research is needed to validate findings and evaluate prevention interventions for CMC.