Elements of Innovative Strategies: Advocate Trinity Hospital

Purpose:
A pilot program for falls reduction was developed using the Comprehensive Unit-Based Safety Program (CUSP) approach. This approach is designed to educate and improve awareness about patient safety, quality of care, empower staff to take charge and improve safety in their workplace.

Significance:
Falls are one of the most common causes of morbidity and a leading cause of nonfatal injuries and trauma related to hospitalizations in the United States. At Advocate Trinity Hospital falls consistently make up the largest single category of reported patient safety events.

Strategy and Implementation:
A multidisciplinary team assembled to address the issue of falls reduction on the unit. This team included executive sponsorship and support,a physician champion and members across all disciplines on the unit. The pilot was driven by the front line associates who were in a unique position to identify causes and generate effective solutions. The most significant cause identified was “risky patient behavior” i.e. patients engaging in activities that put them at risk for falling. The team implemented a falls reduction program that utilized visual fall safety precautions. The main intervention was the “My Falls Safety Plan” which was a collaborative effort with the patient and family to identify and outline a safety plan to prevent falls.100% of the unit staff was educated on patient assessment for fall risk and utilization of the safety plan. Patient rounds included evaluation of bed alarms, assessment of the environment and effective hourly rounding for the 4 P's.

Evaluation:
The CUSP Falls Reduction program was conducted for a four month period from February 1st 2011 to May 31st 2011 on the Telemetry Unit The pilot resulted in a 55% reduction of falls compared to the same time period of February 1st 2010 thru May 31st 2010.

Implications for Practice:
The “My Falls Safety Plan” is to become a permanent component of the overall falls safety program and implemented throughout the facility. The CUSP model will be utilized for future improvements in safety culture and reduction in patient safety events.