Risk factors for in-hospital patient falls: a retrospective analysis

Abstract

Falls are a key patient safety concern because of the associated physical injuries, emotional impact and financial burden on patients and the healthcare system. This study aimed to describe the characteristics of falls and assess the potential risk factors among hospitalised patients in a medium-sized acute care hospital in Queensland, Australia. This was a retrospective descriptive study using routinely collected information. The study was conducted in a medium-sized public hospital in Queensland, Australia. Characteristics of patients, their fall risk classification and circumstances of patient falls were extracted from the incident report provided by the hospital. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. A total of 677 patient fall incidents were documented on the hospital's electronic incident system from 2015–17. The majority of falls (98%) occurred in inpatient units and caused no or minimal harm to patients. Older age groups (75–84 years and 85–94 years) made up the greatest proportion of patients who fell. Falls were largely related to toileting activities. The most common locations for inpatient falls were the bed, bedside trolley or treatment chair. Intervention studies are needed to develop and evaluate procedures to prevent falls, particularly for activities with a high risk of falls, such as toileting, and for older patients.