Fall risk assessment scale for hemodialysis patients (ERQUE_HD): development and validation

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Gerontology
• Nursing

Background:

• Hemodialysis patients have numerous comorbidities increasing fall risk.
• Effective fall risk assessment is crucial for prevention in this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a specific scale for assessing fall risk in hemodialysis patients.

Main Methods:

• A five-stage methodological study combining quantitative and qualitative approaches.
• Included an integrative review, focus groups, instrument development, content validation (CVI=0.95), and scale validation in 66 patients.
• Utilized logistic regression with GEE, identifying key predictors.

Main Results:

• Developed the ERQUE-HD (Fall Risk Assessment Scale for Hemodialysis Patients) with 17 items across four domains.
• High-risk patients were 8.7 times more likely to fall; the scale showed good accuracy (AUC=0.817).
• Post-dialysis fatigue and interdialytic weight gain >4% were significant fall predictors.

Conclusions:

• The ERQUE-HD scale is effective for assessing and predicting fall risk in hemodialysis patients.
• This validated tool can improve patient safety by enabling targeted interventions.