Reducing Falls in a Neuro Trauma Intermediate Care Unit Through Intentional Rounding
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Problem & Purpose: In US hospitals, an estimated 2% of patients will fall during their hospital stay, and 10% of individuals who fall will sustain serious injuries. When a hospitalized individual falls, the cost can be as high as $13,616 per patient. A Neuro Intermediate Care Unit (IMC) at a university medical center in the eastern US experienced an increase in falls from 12 in the fiscal year 2022. to 26 in the fiscal year 2023 (ending June 30th). This project aimed to assess adherence to intentional rounding on 100% of Neuro IMC patients with a Morse Fall Scale (MFS) score > 24 (medium-high fall risk) by implementing in-room erasable rounding boards and a 4-item rounding survey with the overarching goal of decreasing the number of falls on the unit. Methods: Includes documenting hourly to every two hours rounding on erasable, in-room, check-off whiteboards that displayed the “4 Ps” –four common risk factors for falls (Potty, Position, Personal belongings, and Pain). Intentional rounding ranged from hourly (day) to every two hours (night). The project lead (PL) instructed staff to check off rounding completion every one to two hours on each in-room whiteboard. The protocol called for the staff member at shift end to review the whiteboard to determine if staff marked off completion of rounding per QI protocol. Next, the staff member used their personal cell phone to access a 4-item survey via a QR code connected to REDCap, a secure HIPAA-compliant server, to report if staff checked off rounding every one to two hours. The PL compiled data into a time series chart to examine staff adherence to rounding. Results: Out of a maximum possible 5,040 12-hour shifts over 15 weeks, staff completed 117 surveys, (2.32% compliance). Seven falls occurred on the unit during the project. Conclusion: Low end-of-shift survey completions suggest low adherence to a hospital policy that requires intentional rounding on patients with increased fall risk factors.