Analysis of Data on Accidental Falls from the Hospital Incident Reporting in a General Hospital

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze data on fall incidents based on a general hospital’s incident reporting system.Methods: This study conducted secondary data analysis to gather statistics on fall reports, general characteristics of patients, results of falls, and improvement strategies for fall prevention using the 2017-2019 fall incidents from the incident report system.Results: There were 693 cases reported over three years. Among the fall incidents, three hundred twenty (46.2%) were adverse events, three hundred seventy-three (53.8%) were near misses, and none were related to sentinel events. Five hundred ninety-five (85.9%) were male, with an average age of 74.08±8.99. The falling incidents happened mostly in patients' rooms (410, 59.1%). At the time of the fall, the patients were conscious and alert (607, 87.6%). As a result of the fall, three hundred sixty (51.9%) caused no harm, permanent damage, side effects, or death.Conclusion: The study findings suggest that the fall characteristics of older patients should be considered to establish a fall-prevention strategy tailored to the institution.