Institute for Healthcare Improvement: Reducing Harm from Falls

	Criticality: The Problem of Falls
	Patient falls are among the most common occurrences reported in hospitals and are a leading cause of death in people ages 65 or older. Of those who fall, as many as half may suffer moderate to severe injuries that reduce mobility and independence, and increase the risk of premature death. About 50 percent of older adults hospitalized for hip fracture never regain their previous level of function. Ten percent of fatal falls for older adults occur in hospitals. Because the US population is aging, the problem of hip fractures will likely increase substantially over the next four decades. Although there is a considerable body of literature on falls prevention, little evidence exists for the absolute impact of any given intervention. Yet we find that when health professionals believe that they can prevent falls in hospitals and undertake well thought out improvement programs, remarkable success can be achieved.

	Preventing Falls in Hospitals
		For decades, hospitals and other health care organizations have worked to understand the contributing causes of falls, to reduce their incidence and resulting injuries. In recent years, organizations have begun reaching out to each other for collaboration on the best ways to prevent falls. The pressure to accelerate fall prevention intensified when The Joint Commission began adding National Patient Safety Goals (NPSG) and Requirements for hospitals and other settings that touched on preventing falls. In 2005, the NPSG stated: "Reduce the risk of patient harm resulting from falls and the specific requirement: Assess and periodically reassess each patient's risk for falling, including the potential risk associated with the patient's medication regimen, and take action to address any identified risks." The current National Patient Safety Goals include reducing falls and prevention of harm from falls. The content on this website will initially be focused specifically on preventing falls in hospitals. Teams and other collaborators are sharing their stories, tools, and data in hopes that many others will join the public collaboration to prevent harm from falls in hospitals.