Impact of video surveillance on patient safety and staffing cost related to monitoring patients at high risk for falls

Purpose:
The purpose of the innovative descriptive study on a Medical Unit was to measure the impact of video surveillance on the reduction and prevention of patient falls with and without injury. The secondary purpose was to determine the impact of using video surveillance on staffing costs.

Significance:
Utilizing NDNQI® and internal reports the Medical Unit staff saw the need to improve patient safety related to falls. The unit had implemented the house wide fall prevention program, bed alarms and hourly patient rounding prior to the study. Despite these efforts the unit continued to have falls.

Strategy and Implementation:
Following approval from the Institutional Review Board, video live feed cameras without sound were placed in four patient rooms. Patients with a Hendrich II Fall Risk Model© score of > five were invited to participate in the study. Ninety-three patients consented to participate. Data was collected on fall risk scores, patient activities and Video Monitoring Technician (VMT) actions each shift. The video monitors were in an alcove for privacy purposes. Surveillance was twenty four-seven. Unsafe patient activities triggered a VMT call into the patient's room via the call system and asked the patient to stop the unsafe behavior. Further actions included the use of a wireless phone to broadcast “Safety Check” and room number to alert staff that a high risk behavior needed to be addressed STAT. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. All staff were educated about the study.

Evaluation:
Utilizing video surveillance was effective in preventing falls in the study population. Unexpectedly, the entire Medical Unit went 100 days without a fall. The impact on staff cost was less when compared to using sitters. Patients, families, and staff expressed satisfaction with the intervention.

Implications for Practice:
The video surveillance model will be spread to other units within this hospital. A literature search prior to the project resulted in one article and a letter to the editor on video surveillance for fall prevention. The model may be useful in other settings to reduce patient falls.