Investigating Falls Risk Awareness in Hospitals Using the Self-Awareness of Falls Risk Measure (SAFRM): Empirical Research Quantitative.
Elissa Dabkowski, Simon J Cooper, Jhodie Duncan and 1 others
PMID 39724498WHAT IT FOUND
Forty-two percent of hospital inpatients did not match their clinician's falls risk rating.
Thirty percent underestimated their risk, and independent mobility and older age were linked to underestimation.
Key findings
01Forty-two percent of inpatients showed a falls risk awareness disparity compared with their treating clinician; 30% underestimated their risk and 12% overestimated it.
02Patient falls risk ratings were higher than clinician ratings, indicating a tendency to underestimate falls risk.
03Underestimation was independently associated with independent mobility, increasing age and not taking anticoagulant medication; overestimation was associated with anticoagulant use and education at year 11 or lower.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study used only the 15-item intellectual awareness section, so it did not assess emergent or anticipatory awareness. Each patient was rated by only one clinician, although the original method recommended two clinicians. People with severe cognitive deficits were excluded, so findings may not apply to patients with delirium or severe impairment. The sample was small and recruited consecutively from three rural or regional Australian hospitals, so it may not represent other settings. Emergency departments, maternity, critical care and specialised mental health wards were not included. FRAT scores were taken from records assessed by different clinicians, so those scores may vary. The study was done in Australian winter, a period when falls may be more common. The study did not test whether using the SAFRM changes care or reduces falls.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. Funding was from Federation University Australia.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that using the SAFRM prevents falls. The study measured awareness differences and did not test a falls-prevention intervention.