Reducing Inpatient Falls Through Simulations With Symptom Burden Devices

Abstract

Background: In-hospital patient falls are a persistent problem in health care, resulting in increased length of stay and nonreimbursable charges.

Local problem: Although fall prevention programs have decreased inpatient fall rates, our hospital averages 30 falls per month.

Methods: This was a quality improvement project, including a simulation and debriefing. We performed a thematic analysis on the debriefing responses and tracked the inpatient fall rates over 8 months.

Interventions: We developed and implemented a low-cost simulation to allow bedside clinicians to experience the physiological changes experienced by patients, which contribute to inpatient falls.

Results: Fifty-one clinicians participated in the simulation; each expressed an increased understanding in the physical limitations of patients and shared at least 1 technique to help prevent falls for their patient population. The fall rate was reduced by 23.17% in the succeeding 8 months.

Conclusions: Clinicians' awareness of patients' physiological changes can be increased by a low-cost, rapid simulation, resulting in fewer falls.