Adaption of the Action Falls Multifactorial Checklist for Inpatient Palliative Care (AAFPC): A RAND-UCLA Consensus...

Area of Science:

• Palliative Care
• Gerontology
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Falls pose significant risks in inpatient hospices, impacting patient well-being and care duration.
• Existing falls prevention tools require adaptation for the unique needs of palliative care patients.
• The Action Falls Programme is effective in care homes but needs modification for hospice settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To adapt and refine the Action Falls checklist for inpatient hospices.
• To achieve expert consensus on risk and action items relevant to hospice patients.
• To develop a hospice-specific falls prevention tool.

Main Methods:

• A modified RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method was employed.
• Three iterative rounds of expert review involving 14 hospice professionals were conducted.
• Consensus was reached through Likert scale ratings, online focus groups, and a final survey.

Main Results:

• A hospice-specific checklist with 21 risk items and 34 actions was developed.
• Key adaptations included revised fall history timeframe and focus on hydration over nutrition.
• Patient-centered factors like fatigue and continence were integrated into the revised actions.

Conclusions:

• The Action Falls checklist is adaptable for inpatient hospice settings.
• The adapted checklist reflects the specific needs of palliative care patients.
• The revised checklist is ready for feasibility testing to evaluate its effectiveness in reducing falls.