7 facts on patient falls

Healthcare facilities around the country are implementing different protocols to limit the number of patient falls, which may result in injury and readmission.

Here are seven facts on patient falls based on 2015 The Joint Commission data:

1. Hundreds of thousands of patients fall in U.S. hospitals every year.

2. Of these falls, between 30 percent and 50 percent result in patient injury.

3. One study found a single fall added nearly 6.3 days to a patient's hospital stay.

4. The average cost for a fall-related injury is $14,000.

5. Various factors led to patient falls, including:

•    Insufficient leadership
•    Deficiencies in the physical environment
•    Communication failures
•    Insufficient assessment
•    A lapse in staff orientation, supervision, staffing levels or skill mix

6. The Joint Commission recommends organizations launch an initiative aimed at increasing fall prevention, implement an interdisciplinary falls injury
prevention team as well as utilize a standardized, validated tool to identify risk factors for falls, among other recommendations.

7. The ASC Collaboration found the average patient fall rate in the ASC setting was 0.124 per 1,000 admissions for the four quarter of 2016.

Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.