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  • 1.  Clinic Falls Prevention Audit

    Posted 11-04-2022 10:24
    Hi there! 

    I am hoping to get some feedback on what type of audit, if any, is utilized in your clinics. We are looking to build a checklist/audit to get a feel for what type of interventions are needed to prevent falls in our clinics. Maintance is the 'owner' of anything outside the clinic doors, but all areas within the doors are fair game. We do have a start with the obvious areas such as rugs, low lighting and the like. Does anyone have any suggestions or feedback on what they have found as issues in thier clinics? Also, what is the best format? 

    Thanks in advance!

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    Katrina Topci BSN RN
    Nursing Care Administration
    Bellin Health
    Green Bay WI
    (920)471-6887
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  • 2.  RE: Clinic Falls Prevention Audit

    Posted 11-07-2022 09:21
    Hi!

    We have been monitoring our ambulatory care falls since 2013.  I work within a hospital system so this may look different, but here ya go:
    • We examine our ambulatory falls as a conglomerate.  Yes, each individual office is important, but by looking at the whole system, trends are easier identified.
    • We monitor them weekly just to get a heads up on anything going astray.  We also look at them annually to get a different view. 
    • Our initial look was through our incident reporting system and we continue to use this system.  We use Midas.  We developed fall specific reporting within the system.  This way the electronic reporting is easily pulled, aggregated, and trended.
    • Data in one office may reveal a few problems, but if you see it across many offices, the problems can easily be identified. 
    • Hope this helps!


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    Annette
    Annette Hamlin, MSN, Ed., AMB-BC, RN
    Nursing Professional Development Specialist
    Ambulatory, Medical/Surgical Administration
    Akron Children's Hospital
    Akron, OH
    330 618 6357
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  • 3.  RE: Clinic Falls Prevention Audit

    Posted 11-08-2022 13:12
    Edited by Vincent Pena 11-08-2022 13:12
    Greetings Katrina, 

    We, too, are looking into the development of Fall Prevention Auditing/Tool in our region. Similar to Annette's response we, too, pull data and analyze the information from our reporting system.  We use iCare for our reporting system in our organization. I wonder if there is a more tangible process to raise awareness of potential fall risks in the clinic setting? For example, to raise awareness when placing a baby on an exam table in an infant seat vs the ground?!? I look forward to reading the conversation in the thread. 

    Thanks, 


    Vincent I. Peña MSN-Ed, RN
    He/Him/His
    Nurse Professional Development Specialist

     

    Center for Professional Excellence and Inquiry-Ambulatory

    4700 Bohannon Drive

    Menlo Park, CA 94025

    Direct: (650) 850-2146

    StanfordChildrens.org

    VPena@StanfordChildrens.org

    AmbulatoryEducation@StanfordChildrens.org

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    Vincent Pena
    Nurse Professional Development Specialist
    Lucille Packard Childrens Hospital Stanford
    san jose CA
    (650)850-2146
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  • 4.  RE: Clinic Falls Prevention Audit

    Posted 11-14-2022 15:54
    We actually track falls from everywhere in the office.  The most dangerous are those from the exam table. (Highest point in the room for patients) The falls are usually because of parent distraction.  This is our statistics and is also echoed in the national statistics. 

    Exam tables - We place a table tent on the bed stating NO patients are allowed on the bed unless being examined. No infant car seats on the bed.  We have had significant injury from this past practice.  We have standard work that is presented during orientation to secretaries, medical assistants, nurses, dieticians, PT, OT....

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    Annette
    Annette Hamlin, MSN, Ed., AMB-BC, RN
    Nursing Professional Development Specialist
    Ambulatory, Medical/Surgical Administration
    Akron Children's Hospital
    Akron, OH
    330 618 6357
    ------------------------------