None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
The project aims to develop a customised falls prevention plan in hospital settings using local data by improving staff knowledge and perceptions of falls prevention strategies and embedding improved clinical practice in participating wards of two metropolitan hospitals. This will inform a model that can be used to reduce the rates of falls, recurrent falls and injurious falls. The project will involve comprehensive collection and detailed analysis of specific local (geographic and demographic) data to determine the most appropriate evidence based interventions to be implemented at each particular site. The content of the specific interventions will be informed by the local context. The wards to be will be those nominated by each hospital. The initial phase will include a patient survey, a staff survey and data collection of historical and current falls prevention programmes and falls data. We will also collect information about the demographics of each ward, details on falls prevention activities have been or are being undertaken by the ward and which ones have been successful. We will then collect falls data for a 10 week period including number of falls and number of injurious falls per occupied bed days, circumstances and risk factors associated with each fall, and an environmental audit following each fall and of the ward in general. The data will be analysed to determine local patterns in falls predictors, risk factors and causes of falls. Interventions will be developed based on the findings of the analyses.
Interventions
The project will be a pre-post design involving detailed collection of historical, current and prospective falls and falls prevention strategy implementation data. For 10 weeks, data related to every fall on the ward/unit at each site will be collected. The data will be extensively analysed for patterns and trends. This period will take approximately 2 weeks. Generic and individualised falls prevention strategies (e.g.patient and relative education, post fall reviews, staff education, toileting
The project will be a pre-post design involving detailed collection of historical, current and prospective falls and falls prevention strategy implementation data. For 10 weeks, data related to every fall on the ward/unit at each site will be collected. The data will be extensively analysed for patterns and trends. This period will take approximately 2 weeks. Generic and individualised falls prevention strategies (e.g.patient and relative education, post fall reviews, staff education, toileting regimes, review of use of bed rails, movement devices, low-low beds, medication reviews, exercise, management of dizziness, syncope, postural hypotension or delirium, environmental modification, footwear advice) will be developed based on the locally-derived data. Appropriate interventions for each site will be determined from this analysis and implemented for 10 weeks. Adherence to the intervention will be collected in the 10 week period including prospective falls data and by staff recording for all admissions on a checklist whether the intervention has been implemented. A model will be developed based on proven interventions but content informed by the local context and data collected and education of staff will occur.
Sponsors
National Ageing Research Institute
Study design
Allocation
Non-randomised trial
Primary purpose
Prevention
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
Participants will include patients and staff from the two nominated sites : Melbourne Health: APU (Assessment and Planning Unit, soon to be known as Acute Medical Unit (AMU), City Campus Austin Health: Ward 10 (Acute aged care), Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital
Exclusion criteria
None
Outcome results
None listed