PATIENT FALL PREVENTION STRATEGIES IN AN ACUTE HOSPITAL
Every year in the United States, hundreds of thousands of patients fall resulting in injury. Injured patients often require prolonged hospital stays and a resultant increase in medical costs.
The purpose of this study was to identify the current state of fall prevention strategies on a hospital inpatient acute care cardiac unit. Through a root cause analysis, some deficiencies were identified and a process improvement plan was implemented.
Several positive outcomes were attained as a result of the countermeasures initiated. Patient falls per month and total waste in dollars saw a decline and, subsequently, an increase was realized in dollars saved in medical costs.
It is hoped that this study will provide practitioners with additional tools to enhance current fall prevention programs
