J Korean Acad Nurs Adm.  2021 Dec;27(5):334-343. 10.11111/jkana.2021.27.5.334.

Factors Affecting the Degree of Harm from Fall Incidents in Hospitals

• Ahn S
• Kim DE

• KMID: 2526016
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.11111/jkana.2021.27.5.334

Abstract

Purpose
This study aimed to examine the factors influencing the degree of harm caused by fall incidents in hospitals.
Methods
This cross-sectional descriptive study used secondary data from the “Korean Patient Safety Incident Report 2019” and was based on the International Classification for Patient Safety conceptual framework. We analyzed a total of 4,176 fall incidents between January 1 and December 31, 2019, in Korea. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify the factors that influence the degree of harm from these incidents.
Results
Among the fall incidents, 443 (10.6%) were sentinel events, 2,514 (60.2%) were adverse events, and 1,219 (29.2%) were near misses. The factors associated with sentinel events were old age (≥60 years), gender, patient diagnosis, medical department, early detection after falls, long-term care hospital, and reporters. Adverse events were significantly associated with diagnosis, medical department, nurses’ night shift time, large bed size, location (i.e., operating room, recovery room, and intensive care unit), and reporters.
Conclusion
Both patient and incident characteristics are significantly associated with the degree of harm in hospitals. Therefore, multiple factors should be considered to establish healthcare policies and thus prevent fall risks and minimize damage following falls in hospitals.

Keyword

Accidental falls; Risk factors; Patient safety; Public reporting of healthcare data; Medical errors