Don’t Fall Behind: Uphold Agile Mobility Down the Line
Patient falls are a serious hospital safety concern, leading to preventable harm, increased morbidity, and costs. Immobility further heightens fall risk and contributes to hospital-acquired harm. Recognizing the overlap between fall prevention and mobility improvement, two community hospitals merged separate initiatives into a unified quality committee a first within their 14-hospital system. Using evidence-based process improvement tools, they streamlined strategies, reducing injurious falls by 46% and improving mobility goal achievement by 27%, while cutting meeting time and costs by nearly 20%. This session showcases a trailblazing approach to optimizing resources, enhancing efficiency, and achieving sustained patient safety success.
Problem: Injurious falls cause harm, longer stays, and higher mortality. In FY21-FY22, two hospitals ran separate fall prevention and mobility initiatives. Now, by unifying leadership, goals, and strategies, this project aims to improve efficiency, sustain progress, and implement evidence-based measures to enhance patient safety and reduce fall-related injuries across both hospitals.
Measurement: We measured falls with injury rates, mobility goal achievement, and metrics like meeting attendance, duration, and frequency. Stakeholder engagement costs were assessed by comparing meeting hours to median salaries. An Impact Effort Grid prioritized strategies and pre- and post-data will be compared to evaluate structural changes' impact.
Analysis: Data from both hospitals' Acute and Critical units dashboards with retrospective attendance and meeting structure year over year over year Fall and Mobility projects were analyzed. Statistical methods assessed changes in fall injury rates, mobility goal achievement, and to evaluate the impact of meeting structure adjustments on outcomes.
Implementation: We streamlined leadership meetings and integrated metrics/resources. Barriers like time constraints, work prioritization, and unforeseen system changes were addressed through smaller working groups, leadership prioritization, and shifting focus to frontline proactive intervention education. Healthcare professionals can apply these strategies to improve team coordination and overcome implementation challenges.
Results/Discussion: A 12% reduction in falls, 46% decrease in injurious falls, 23% increase in mobility goals, and reductions in meeting costs and time (18%, 19%) were achieved. Key tools for success included the impact-effort grid and Gantt chart. Sustainability will be ensured through reassessments, ongoing PI support, and regular data reviews.
Speakers
Clinical Quality Safety Specialist II - UCHealth
Manager of Rehabilitation Services - UCHealth
Nurse Manager - UCHealth
Process Improvement Consultant - UCHealth
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Performance and Process Improvement
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Location Virtual
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Organizer NAHQ Next
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