Wireless falls monitoring alarms and sensors are designed to help nurses safeguard patients and optimize how they use their time.
Beth Hudson, RN, CWCN
Clinical Affairs Manager, TIDI Products
Accidental falls in hospitals and care facilities place unnecessary burdens on patients and their families. Patient falls also have a material effect on the hospital or care facility itself, which can come in the form of higher medical costs due to patients needing to stay longer to recover and/or the need for additional surgeries. The prospect of litigation must also be considered if the falls were preventable.
Unfortunately, patient falls remain a persistent problem.
The Joint Commission (TJC), for instance, identified patient falls as the most prevalent sentinel event type voluntarily self-reported to TJC by accredited or certified entities for 2022, marking the fourth consecutive year that patient falls were the leading sentinel event type reported.1
Data released by TJC for the first six months of 2023 indicate the continuation of this trend.2
A commitment to fall prevention
To minimize the occurrence and severity of patient falls, organizations must be actively committed to establishing and maintaining a fall prevention program.
“Integrating technology options of all types, ranging from floor mats to chair and toilet sensors, into an organization’s fall prevention program helps to enhance its effectiveness,” observed Cynthia Saver, M.S., RN, president of CLS Development, Inc. “This starts with thoughtful evaluation of potential technology… to ensure it supports patient safety and fits into clinicians’ workflows.”3
One technology option worthy of consideration for use in hospitals and care facilities are wireless falls monitoring alarms, sometimes called wireless falls prevention alarms.
“Wireless systems provide two significant benefits: reduced tripping hazards for patients and staff, and greater ease and efficiency in moving patients because the alarm and [sensor] pad do not have to be in close physical proximity,” Saver explained.3
Furthermore, a wireless falls monitoring alarm does not need to be tethered to the nurse call outlet at the head of the hospital bed. It can be mounted anywhere in the patient room, such as near the bathroom or patient room door — or even outside the door of the patient room.
Interconnectivity
The flexibility afforded by wireless falls alarm mounting accommodates nursing workflow and can help these busy professionals use their time more efficiently, an important benefit in light of today’s all-too-common staffing shortages.
TIDI Products’ wireless Posey® On Cue® PRO Alarm, for example, can be paired quickly and simply to a Posey Wireless Chair Sensor Pad, which allows the chair to be placed anywhere in the patient room, or to a Posey Wireless Toilet Sensor, which can help the nurse respect the patient’s right to privacy when used to complement an organization’s fall prevention protocol for patient toileting. The On Cue PRO Alarm can also be paired with a Posey Wireless Nurse Call Adapter so that when the alarm sounds, the nurse call system will be wirelessly notified.
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Regarding the implementation of technology for patient falls prevention, Saver adds that, “By following a few steps — such as careful patient assessment, thorough education for patients and families, regular monitoring and follow-up, and routine assessment of staff competencies — clinicians and organizations can keep staff and patients safe. These efforts will ensure that technology is effectively incorporated into care that is truly patient-centered.”3
References
- “The Joint Commission Sentinel Event Data 2022 Annual Review.” www.jointcommission.org/-/media/tjc/documents/resources/patient-safety-topics/sentinel-event/03162023_sentinel-event-_annual-review_final-(002).pdf. Accessed 20 February 2024.
- “New sentinel event data available for first 6 months of 2023.” www.jointcommission.org/resources/news-and-multimedia/newsletters/newsletters/joint-commission-online/oct-18-2023/se-data/. Accessed 20 February 2024.
- Saver, C. (2022). Role of Technology in Falls Prevention: A Patient-centered Approach [White paper]. TIDI Products, LLC.