Background: Assessment of a patient's risk factors for falling and putting interventions in place to reduce that risk is vital. Screening and assessment of risk occurs on admission, then reassessment occurs depending on the clinical indicators that include post fall, ward transfer, and change in medical condition. The patient's risk of falling can alter/increase/decrease when these particular events occur in a hospital stay.
Objectives: This project aimed to identify an area of falls assessment and management that required improvement, and successfully implementing key strategies at a local level to improve identified gaps in evidenced based practice.
Methods: A clinical audit that utilized the Joanna Briggs Institute's Practical Application of Clinical Evidence System and Getting Research into Practice tools was undertaken in two wards. 30 patient medical records were audited in the baseline audit, compared with evidence-based criteria, with two follow-up audits conducted once strategies to improve compliance had been implemented.
Results: From the baseline audit, both wards chose an area to improve in deliver of evidence base care and risk assessment. This was fall risk assessment is done upon transfer.Ward 1 also chose to address reassessment occurs when there is a change in condition or following a fall.Following intervention the follow-up audit results showed that in fall risk assessment is done upon transferward 1 improved by 9% and Ward 2 by 13%. Results for reassessment occur when there is a change in condition or following a fall, ward 1 improved by 50%.
Conclusions: Despite significant barriers, positive results, and improvements in the delivery of falls management optimal evidenced based care can be achieved from the implementation of simple strategies.