Authors (including presenting author) :
Siu WL(1), Wong CL(1), Tsang WY(1)
Affiliation :
(1) Department of Medicine and Geriatrics, United Christian Hospital
Introduction :
Ward 2DM serves as a medical overflow ward, which admits relatively stable patients. Majority of the patients would be transferred to subacute hospitals or directly discharged to home. The high turnover rate is closely associated to high fall risk. To address this critical issue, a new fall prevention system was implemented in Q2 2024. This initiative has led to significant improvements in patient safety, ultimately achieving our primary goal of maintaining a secure environment for all patients.
Objectives :
To mitigate fall incidents in a high turnover rate medical ward. To initiate fall prevention program immediately after admission for high fall risk patients. To eliminate delay in activating fall prevention system. To enhance patient safety and operational efficiency as the paramount goal.
Methodology :
In contrast to the traditional opt-in method, our ward employs a proactive opt-out approach for fall prevention. All beds in the ward are equipped with preinstalled central fall prevention monitoring system, eliminating the time required for installation and ensuring immediate readiness in admission. Upon admission, a comprehensive assessment is conducted by the case nurse, using the Morse Fall Scale to evaluate each patient's fall risk immediately. Patients with Morse Fall Scale of 45 or higher are classified as high fall risks and automatically enrolled in the fall prevention program, activating the fall alarm pads without delay. This proactive strategy minimizes the time lag in initiating fall alerts, significantly reducing the overall risk of falls. If a patient attempts to get out of bed, a central monitor along with two additional monitors in each corridor will show the bed number and announce it across the ward. The system allows staff to promptly identify high fall risk cases and take immediate measures to reduce fall incidents. Additionally, the case nurse regularly checks the functionality of the fall alarm pads in each shift and meticulously records the status in the nursing care report. Daily reviews of fall risk assessments ensure that any changes in a patient’s condition are promptly addressed.
Result & Outcome :
Prior to the implementation of the in-built fall alarm pads, fall incidents in the ward were 2 in 2023 and 2 in Q1 2024, as reported in the Advance Incident Reporting System. Following the implementation of the new fall alarm pad system, the fall rate has impressively dropped to zero in Q3 and Q4 2024. Apart from the readiness of fall alarm pad, the time required for installing alarm pads has been reduced to zero, streamlining ward management and conserving valuable manpower resources. To conclude, this innovative approach, featuring built-in fall alarm pads, not only enhances patient safety but also optimizes operational efficiency in the ward.
