Striving to prevent falls in an acute care setting--action to enhance quality

Although most falls do not result in serious physical injury, they can contribute to a loss of confidence and mobility which can culminate in a significant reduction in quality of life. Furthermore, the potential to fall is often increased when an individual is institutionalized because of frailty or confusion. The purpose of the study was, therefore, to establish whether a structured intervention would assist in preventing falls in an acute setting. This pre-test/post-test study was carried out over a 12-month period. Interventions included risk assessment, an alert system, reinforcing preventive actions, staff education and ongoing audits and feedback. Initial analysis of the data and comparison of fall rates indicated a significant reduction in the rate of falls between the pre- and post-intervention phases, although subsequent statistical analysis did not identify any significant relationships. It must be noted that no controls existed for extraneous variables, although patient profiles varied minimally during the period of the study. Outcomes include: a reduction in fall numbers and rates, enhanced staff morale with ownership of the programme, provision of a learning experience for staff (on which to build), and the fostering of a professional approach to improving the quality of patient care.