HD Nursing Stresses Need for Fall Prevention: New Joint Commission Report Categorizes Falls as Most Common Hospital Sentinel Event, Increases Length-of-Stay
June 25 2024 - 10:02AM
Business Wire
HD Nursing, the leading patient safety solution that combines
predictive analytics with individualized fall and pressure injury
prevention, underscores the critical need for enhanced patient
safety measures as emphasized in a recent report from The Joint
Commission. The report points to patient falls as the most common
sentinel event in hospital settings during 2023, accounting for a
staggering 48% of reported incidents and significantly surpassing
other critical events, such as wrong surgeries and delays in
treatment.
“This report sounds an alarm throughout the healthcare delivery
community and calls for significant improvement which can be
accomplished through innovative, data-driven solutions for fall
assessment and prevention,” says Amy Hester, PhD, RN, BC, FAAN,
chairwoman and CEO, HD Nursing.
In the report, of the 672 reported patient falls, 26 (4%)
resulted in death, 56 (8%) in permanent harm, and 538 (80%) in
severe harm to the patient, including injuries such as fractures
and head injury/bleed.
“By leveraging HD Nursing’s predictive analytics and
individualized preventive care, our evidence-based programs
mitigate risks, ensuring better outcomes and safer environments for
patients,” continues Dr. Hester. “Studies also confirm that falls
lead to additional treatments or prolonged hospital stays which
increase the cost of care.”
- AHRQ reports that falls can be highly detrimental, often
accelerating patient decline and causing longer hospital
stays.
- A February 2024 analysis by Kaufman Hall showcases significant
cost savings for hospitals that optimize patient flow and minimize
unnecessary days.
By significantly reducing falls and injuries, HD Nursing's Falls
Program helps prevent avoidable increases in length of stays,
leading to substantial cost savings. For example, one client
experienced annual savings of over $10 million due to reduced
length of stay associated with fewer falls. The methodology
involved analyzing the client's baseline fall rate and calculating
additional bed days due to falls, using conservative cost-per-day
rates.
“This data confirms the urgent need for proactive measures to
mitigate risks and enhance patient care safety standards,” says Dr.
Hester. “Against a backdrop of nationwide hospital capacity
challenges, the financial benefits of reducing length of stay are
quite evident.”
About HD Nursing
Established in 2012, HD Nursing has become the dominant patient
safety solution and the only fall risk assessment tool validated in
the electronic medical record. With a comprehensive, evidence-based
approach combining predictive analytics with individualized fall
and fall injury prevention patient care, our solution is documented
to reduce patient falls and injuries and is employed by leading
health systems and academic medical centers nationwide. Our team is
fully committed to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion.
Silver Stevie® Award winner as Company of the Year - Health
Products & Services category in the 22nd Annual American
Business Awards®. https://www.hdnursing.com/
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Media: Brittany Tedesco CPR Marketing for HD Nursing
btedesco@cpronline.com 201.641.1911 x 14