Files
Download Full Text (495 KB)
Description
Problem Statement: Limited in-person patient safety assistants (PSA) for fall risk patients contributing to our high fall rates: Fall rates higher than NDNQI target of 2.70 x 2 years; Fall with injury rates below NDNQI target of 0.58 and 0.60, but trending up; Staffing challenges with PSAs and nursing staff; Higher acuity patients; Nursing assistants (NA) removed from patient care to fulfill PSA duties when not available. Improvement Statement: Implement virtual monitoring platform throughout our progressive and general practice units to allow for 24/7 monitoring of high fall risk patients to reduce total fall and fall with injury rates by 33% within 1 year. The purpose of this project was to determine if the use of virtual monitoring of qualified high fall risk patients will reduce fall rates. Since 2020, Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital’s fall rates have not been below our target goal of 2.70 set by NDNQI. Since that time, we have developed a fall committee, and implemented interventions based on evidence. However, we recognize the staffing challenges plaguing our hospital system as a detriment to preventing falls. With the introduction of ceiling mounted cameras in each patient room, we now have the capability to virtually monitor specific patients 24/7. The virtual patient safety assistants (vPSAs) monitoring these patients are able to talk to the patient, sound an alarm, and/or call the unit directly to discuss the patient’s movements with the unit staff. By having a person virtually monitor select high fall risk patients we expected to see a reduction in falls by thirty percent after six months of implementation.
Publication Date
3-12-2024
Publisher
Henry Ford Health
City
Detroit, Michigan
Keywords
Quality Expo, posters, poster competition
Recommended Citation
Wyatt, Diane; Cole, Jodie; Paciorkowski, Lily; Ashley, Caleb; and Conti, Rebecca, "Project #70: Use of Virtual Monitoring to Prevent Inpatient Hospital Falls" (2024). Quality Expo 2024. 65.
https://scholarlycommons.henryford.com/qualityexpo2024/65
