Unit-level variation in bed alarm use in US hospitals.
Vincent S Staggs, Kea Turner, Catima Potter and 4 others
PMID 32515837WHAT IT FOUND
36% of patients on adult hospital units had a bed/chair alarm, but the unit a patient was on mattered more than their fall-risk profile.
Alarm use varied widely across units even when patients' expected need was similar.
Key findings
01Alarms were in use for 531 (36%) patients at the time of the prevalence survey.
02Unit alarm rates ranged from 0% to 100%, with a median of 33%, and unit assignment was a stronger predictor of alarm use than patient-level variables.
03A companion/sitter emerged as the strongest correlate of alarm use and was associated with lower alarm use, from 36% to 18%.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study was part of a pilot and feasibility study, and the sample size was chosen for feasibility, not statistical power for specific hypotheses. Hospitals self-selected for participation, and NDNQI hospitals may differ from other hospitals in resources or fall prevention priorities. The study included only one unit per hospital, except two hospitals with two units, so it could not separate hospital-level from unit-level variation. The study observed alarm use at one survey time and did not measure fall outcomes, so it cannot show whether alarms prevent falls or cause harm. Some patient characteristics had missing data and were imputed, and the study relied partly on unit self-report.
Declared interests
The study was funded by a National Institutes of Health pilot and feasibility award. Author RS provides expert testimony related to hospital fall prevention. The authors report no other conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that bed alarms prevent falls. The study measured how often alarms were used and what factors predicted their use, not fall outcomes. It also reports low evidence for alarm effectiveness and possible harms such as noise, decreased mobility, and alarm fatigue.