Expanding the Design Space for Fall Prevention in Acute Orthopedic Hospital Care: Human-Centered Design Study

Area of Science:

• Healthcare technology
• Patient safety
• Clinical practice research

Background:

• In-hospital fall prevention requires multifactorial interventions.
• Current research primarily focuses on fall detection technology.
• A systems-level understanding of technology's role in fall prevention is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• Describe clinical fall prevention practices in an orthopedic ward.
• Identify needs and opportunities for technological support in fall prevention.
• Evaluate a framework for analyzing human-technology interactions in fall prevention.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study using human-centered design principles.
• Combined focused ethnography with a workshop.
• Included interviews and observations of 8 healthcare professionals, followed by a personnel workshop.

Main Results:

• Fall prevention is integral to all staff-patient interactions, with complementary staff roles.
• Staff act as key tools for assessment, communication, and coaching; digital tools aid documentation.
• Personnel focus on prevention during and after hospitalization, noting challenges with long-term care and desiring homelike environments.

Conclusions:

• Technology-based fall prevention should extend beyond monitoring to supporting staff activities and patient engagement.
• Tools can be implemented in training for daily activities and mobility.
• Creating safe, homelike clinical contexts enhances fall prevention strategies.