Developing a Clinical Evaluation Method to Measure Fall-Prevention Efficacy for Inpatients.

Area of Science:

• Clinical Nursing
• Patient Safety
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Falls in hospitals prolong stays, reduce patient quality of life, and increase healthcare expenses.
• Effective fall prevention strategies are crucial for improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a clinical evaluation method for assessing fall risk related to hospital bed heights.
• To provide new insights into fall-prevention strategies by examining the impact of bed height.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study was conducted in a Japanese hospital between August and October 2024.
• Patient fall data were collected for two bed types: standard (approx. 60 cm) and low (approx. 30 cm).
• Fisher's exact test was used for statistical analysis of fall rates.

Main Results:

• The study included 3,422 patients over 32,708 man-days.
• Fall rates were 0.23% for standard beds (72 falls) and 0.28% for low beds (4 falls).
• Statistical analysis revealed no significant difference in fall rates between the two bed heights (p = 0.57).

Conclusions:

• Hospital bed height, specifically the difference between 60 cm and 30 cm, did not show a statistically significant impact on patient fall rates.
• Further research may be needed to identify other critical factors influencing fall risk in hospitalized patients.