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

Falls cause significantly extend hospital stays, diminish patients' quality of life, and drive-up healthcare costs. The purpose of this study is to develop a clinical evaluation method to assess the risk of falling associated with different bed heights, thereby offering a new perspective on fall-prevention strategies in hospitalized patients. Data were collected in a single Japanese hospital from August to October 2024. Two bed types were compared: a standard bed at approximately 60 cm in height and a low bed at approximately 30 cm. Over the three-month period, 3,422 patients, accounting for 32,708 man-days, met the study criteria. Of these, 31,293 man-days used standard beds, while 1,415 man-days used low beds. A total of 72 falls occurred in the standard bed group and 4 in the low bed group, yielding fall rates of 0.23% and 0.28%, respectively. Statistical analysis using Fisher's exact test showed no significant difference between the two bed types (p = 0.57).