Implementing a quality improvement program to reduce falls and increase patient medication satisfaction in an academic medical center

Abstract

Background: Hospitalized older adult medication-related falls are common and understudied.

Local problem: There were organizational educational gaps identified in assisting nurses to recognize and mitigate medication associated side effects that may predispose hospitalized older adults to fall.

Methods: A quality improvement project that utilized pre and post-test design. An eLearning module was developed and distributed to registered nurses in a medical unit.

Interventions: Eighty registered nurses participated in an eLearning module that included patient and family centered evidence-based guidelines and teach-back guides related to medication fall safety.

Results: An increase in overall (2.2%) medication patient satisfaction scores and decrease (8%) in falls for patients > 65 years old over a 4-month period.

Conclusions: There is benefit of implementing a structured medication fall risk education program for nurses on a medical unit. Patient satisfaction related to communication about medications and a reduction in falls was impacted by this interdisciplinary intervention.

Keywords: Falls; Medication safety; Nurse education; Older adults; Patient satisfaction; Teach-back.