Identification of the patient at risk for a fall related injury in an acute care setting: A retrospective study

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify the patient at risk for a fall-related injury while receiving care in an acute healthcare setting. The prevention of patient falls in hospital settings has been identified as an international patient safety goal. Despite a myriad of validated assessment tools, falls do occur.
Methods: Using a retrospective study design, the medical records of patients who encountered a fall-related injury were reviewed, with demographic and situational variables included in the study data set.
Results: Frequency and descriptive analyses were performed on the study population that fell, then sub-grouped by level of fall-related injury. These results were correlated to the results of the routinely used fall assessment tool and to the research literature.
Conclusions: The study concluded that an assessment tool has value in identifying the patient at risk for a fall but is limited in the ability to identify the patient at risk for a fall related injury. Advanced age does increase the risk for a fall-related injury, especially if the patient is taking antidepressive medications or has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. Women appear to have a slight propensity toward fall-related injuries. The overall length of hospital stay is prolonged as a result of the fall, and the ability to return to a private home is at risk. The design of this study consisted of data from patients and investigated due to caregivers’ desire to decrease these scenarios. Fall-related major injuries, while rare, demonstrate vague identifiable variables, not predictable using present-day assessment tools.