Completed Research Project
North Metropolitan Health Service falls risk management tool project
Investigators: Gluyas H, Kelly R, Why V, Gibson
M, Hill A, Myers H & Nikoletti, S.
Funding: Department of Health Western Australia
($11,762).
Abstract: The Fall Risk Management Tool (FRMT) was developed in response to a finding that currently available hospital fall risk assessment tools are not well validated and have little clinical utility. The FRMT takes an innovative approach and incorporates an assessment of known fall risk factors and links these risk factors with relevant best practice interventions identified in the literature. This enables nursing staff to create an individualised plan for each patient to manage specific fall risk factors within the ward environment. The FRMT was pilot tested on eight wards at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and Osborne Park Hospital. Outcomes for the project included: compliance with completing the FRMT measured by audit indicators; the fall rate, measured by statistical process control charts; and staff knowledge on falls measured by a questionnaire. The implementation strategies used in this project appeared to be successful in ensuring that the newly developed FRMT was incorporated into ward practice.
