Early Patient and Family Engagement on Fall Prevention in Rehabilitation Setting

Abstract Description

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Authors (including presenting author) :

Cheng BW (1), Poon CYM (1), Choy PCB (1), Lau KKB(1)

Affiliation :

(1)Department of Surgery, Shatin Hospital

Introduction :

In Department of Surgery, SH, there is a Fall Prevention Talk Program to involve patient family for fall prevention. Patients admitted to our department are for active rehabilitation. Their mobility level would be categorized by MFAC (level 1- level 7). Patients would be considered at risk of fall if their mobility levels were within level 3-level 6. At the same time, they would be our target group for the Fall Prevention Talk Program. Evaluation indicated that families of target patients presented with improved awareness on fall prevention after they participated the program.. The Fall Prevention Talk Program was carried out by multi-disciplinary approach. Nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists provided information about fall prevention strategies which carried out in our department such as risk assessment and protective measures used. Besides, fall scenarios also shared by video playing. To seek for further improvement, the program was reviewed. We found that some patients who were not at risk of fall but their risk would be increased by change of physical condition. In order to prevent fall incident which related to patient who was predicted to have increasing fall risk (from not at risk), early family and patient engagement was considered beneficial on patient's fall prevention.

Objectives :

*To predict patient who may has fall risk regarding patient’s progress:. *To facilitate active family engagement on patient fall prevention early. *To aware family redarding their essential role on preventing patient fall. *To reduce fall incident in department.

Methodology :

A multi-disciplinary workgroup including nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists reviewed the progress of the existing Fall Prevention Talk Program : * Data on patient falls were analyzed. * Criteria on recruitment of target group were reviewed. That is, patient with mobility level MFAC CAT 2 will also be our target group for the Fall Prevention Talk even he/she is not at risk.

Result & Outcome :

Total 47 family members and 26 patients participated to the fall talk. * Patient and their families agreed that to provide fall talk early improved their knowledge and awareness on fall prevention. * Families agreed that their understanding on patient risk of fall was increased. * Families agreed that their understanding on fall prevention strategies in ward was increased. * Ward staff agreed that families' compliance on fall prevention strategies in ward was increased. * Staff agreed that patient risk of fall at MFAC CAT 2 was predicted. * Number of fall incidents was 50% decreased( from 12 cases on 2017 to 6 cases on 2018.