Remote Patient Monitoring Improves Patient Falls and Reduces Harm

Abstract

Background: Minimizing patient falls and fall-related injuries within organizational constraints is a high priority for nurse leaders. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services do not reimburse hospitals for fall-related expenditures. In-person sitters are used to prevent falls but are resource intensive and costly. Remote patient monitoring (RPM) may offer alternatives to in-person sitters to reduce fall-related harm. Purpose: The efficacy of RPM to reduce patient falls and fall-related injuries was explored. Methods: Electronic health record data were extracted from a 13-hospital integrated health care system. Incidence rate ratios were used to analyze the impact of RPM technology on falls and fall-related injuries. Results: When used in conjunction with standard fall precautions, RPM reduced falls 33.7% and fall-related injuries 47.4%. Fall-related expenditures decreased $304 400 with a combined estimated savings systemwide of $2 089 600 annually. Conclusions: RPM technology minimized falls and associated harm and improved patient safety, positively impacting hospital expenditures.