Do clinical pharmacists contribute to fall prevention in healthcare facilities also in the Czech Republic? 10 years of monitoring and experience from ÚVN Prague

Clinical pharmacists are encouraged to participate in falls prevention programs in many healthcare facilities. A uniform methodology for the work of clinical pharmacist in fall prevention has not yet been established in the Czech Republic. The aim of this work is to offer the methodology based on our own data analysis. Retrospective clinical pharmacist's output analysis was performed in two areas: fall's pharmacoprevention and post-fall drug audits. In the results 78 % of patients who fell during hospitalization were over 65 years of age. Age was subsequently taken as the basic criterion for the patient's medication evaluation with regard to the risk of falling. Thanks to the widespread expansion of clinical pharmaceutical care and the newly introduced fall prevention and monitoring system at ÚVN Prague, there was a positive trend in the incidence of medication's adverse effects on patient's falls: in 2017 it was 34 % of cases, in 2020 only 13 %. Based on our data and experience, we offer a methodology for the clinical pharmacist's activity in fall prevention: 1. performing revision of medication also with regard to the risk of falls in patients over 65 years of age, 2. ensuring the automatic requests sending to the clinical pharmacy department in the case of a patient's fall in a medical facility.

Validity of the Morse Fall Scale and the Johns Hopkins Fall Risk Assessment Tool for fall risk assessment in an acute care setting

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the measured fall risk score that more accurately reflects the changeable conditions in acute care settings, and to efficiently evaluate the association between falls and fall risk score.

BACKGROUND

The Morse Fall Scale (MFS) is a well-known easy-to-use tool, while the Johns Hopkins Fall Risk Assessment Tool (JHFRAT) consists of items with high specificity. Evaluating suitable fall-risk assessment tools to measure these changeable conditions may contribute to preventing falls in acute care settings.

DESIGN

Retrospective case-control study using the STROBE checklist.

METHODS

In an acute care setting (708-bedded university hospital with a regional emergency medical centre), the non-fall group was adjusted to fall group using propensity score matching. According to the fall rate of 3-5%, non-fall groups for each tool were selected (1386 and 1947) from the before adjusted data, and the fall groups included 42 and 59. The applied covariates were individual characteristics that ordinarily changed such as age, gender, diagnostic department and hospitalisation period. The adjusted data were analysed using generalised estimating equations and mixed effect model.

RESULTS

After adjustment, the fall group measured using the JHFRAT had a significantly higher difference between the initial and re-measured total score than the non-fall group. The JHFRAT, especially with the re-measured score, had a higher AUC value for predicting falls than the MFS. MFS's sensitivity was 85.7%, and specificity was 58.8% at 50 points; for JHFRAT, these were 67.8% and 80.2% at 14 points, respectively. These cut-off points were used to evaluate validity during tool development and are commonly used as reference scores.

CONCLUSIONS

JHFRAT more accurately reflects acute changeable conditions related to fall risk measurements after admission.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

JHFRAT may be useful for effective fall prevention activities in acute care settings.

Cost-effectiveness of Morse Fall Scale assessment in fall prevention care in hospitalized patients

OBJECTIVES

To analyze the cost-effectiveness of the Morse Fall Scale by clinical big data for nurses in the prevention of falls in hospitalized patients.

METHODS

A total of 59 358 hospitalized patients, who came from the Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University in 1 year before nurses were trained by the Morse Fall Scale, served as a control, including 26 862 males and 32 496 females. While the 66 203 hospitalized patients served as an observation group in 1 year after nurses were trained by the Morse Fall Scale, including 29 881 males and 36 322 females. The time spent by clinical nurses in the fall-risk assessment and the fall number were recorded in the 2 groups, and the relationship was analyzed between the Morse Fall Scale assessment and the clinical ending along with the labor cost of nursing. The cost-effectiveness was analyzed. In addition, the incidence of fall in the observation group was compared between the falling high-risk patients and the non-high-risk patients.

RESULTS

The Morse Fall Scale showed that the incidences of fall in the observation group and the control group were 3.39/100 000 and 3.82/100 000,respectively, there was no significant difference between the 2 groups (U=0.807, P>0.05); the injury rates of falls of Grade 2 and above in the observation group and the control group were 27.30% and 20.00%, respectively, with no significant difference (χ2=0.345, P>0.05); but the labor cost was increased by 130 641.82 Chinses Yuan, and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was 43 547.27. However, the incidence of fall was significant higher in the falling high-risk patients by the assessment of the Morse Fall Scale than that in the non-high-risk patients (U=2.941, P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The evaluation of the Morse Fall Scale has a certain effect, but it is limited in the prevention of falls in adult hospitalized patients, and the cost-effectiveness analysis is not good. It is recommended to implement the intervention measures for high-risk patients after the assessment, which may improve the management level and efficiency of fall prevention.

A dynamic risk model for inpatient falls

PURPOSE

Construction and validation of a fall risk prediction model specific to inpatients receiving fall risk-increasing drugs (FRIDs) are described.

METHODS

In a retrospective cohort study of 75,036 admissions to 2 hospitals over a designated 22-month period that involved FRID exposure during the first 5 hospital days, factors influencing fall risk were investigated via logistic regression. The resultant risk prediction model was internally validated and its performance compared with that of a model based on Morse Fall Scale (MFS) scores.

RESULTS

A total of 220,904 patient-days of FRID exposure were evaluated. The three most commonly administered FRIDs were oxycodone (given on 79,697 patient-days, 36.08%), morphine (52,427, 23.73%) and hydromorphone (42,063, 19.04%). Within the 90th percentile of modeled risk scores, 144 of the 466 documented falls (30.9%) were captured by the developed risk prediction model (unbiased C statistic, 0.69), as compared with 94 falls (20.2%) captured using the MFS model (unbiased C statistic, 0.62). Strong predictors of inpatient falls included a history of falling (odds ratio [OR], 1.99; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.42-2.80); overestimation of ability to ambulate (OR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.12-2.09); and "comorbidity predisposition," a composite measure encompassing a history of falling and 11 past diagnoses (OR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.30-1.97).

CONCLUSION

The proposed risk model for inpatient falls achieved superior predictive performance when compared with the MFS model. All risk factors were operationalized from discrete electronic health record fields, allowing full automation of real-time identification of high-risk patients.

Risk of falling among hospitalized patients with high modified Morse scores could be further Stratified

Background

Falls during hospitalization harbor both clinical and financial outcomes. The modified Morse fall scale [MMFS] is widely used for an in-hospital risk-of-fall assessment. Nevertheless, the majority of patients at risk of falling, i.e. with high MMFS, do not fall. The aim of this study was to ascertain our study hypothesis that certain patients' characteristics (e.g. serum electrolytes, usage of a walking device etc.) could further stratify the risk of falls among hospitalized patients with MMFS.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort analysis of adult patients hospitalized in Internal Medicine departments.

Results

The final cohort included 428 patients aged 76.8±14.0 years. All patients had high (9 or more) MMFS upon admission, and their mean MMFS was 16.2±6.1. A group of 139 (32.5%) patients who fell during their hospitalization was compared with a control group of 289 (67.5%) patients who did not fall. The fallers had higher MMFS, a higher prevalence of mild dependence, and a greater use of a cane or no walking device. Regression analysis showed the following patients' characteristics to be independently associated with an increased risk of falling: mild dependence (OR=3.99, 95% CI 1.97-8.08; p<0.0001), treatment by anti-epileptics (OR=3.9, 95% CI 1.36-11.18; p=0.011), treatment by hypoglycemic agents (OR=2.64, 95% CI 1.08-6.45; p= 0.033), and hypothyroidism (OR=3.66, 05%CI 1.62-8.30; p=0.002). In contrast to their role in the MMFS, the use of a walker or a wheelchair was found to decrease the risk of falling (OR=0.3, 95% CI 0.13-0.69; p=0.005 and OR=0.25, 95% CI 0.11-0.59; p= 0.002).

Conclusions

Further risk stratification of hospitalized patients, already known to have a high MMFS, which would take into account the characteristics pointed out in this study, should be attained.

Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation: The Predictive Value of the Morse Fall Scale in Hospitalized Patients

BACKGROUND

Falls are common in hospitalized patients undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). Research demonstrates that preventing patient falls requires knowledge of the risk factors and the circumstances preceding the patient's fall.
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OBJECTIVES

To identify risk factors related to falls in recipients of ASCT and assess the predictive value of the Morse Fall Scale (MFS).
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METHODS

Of the 288 patients who underwent transplantation during the study period, 14 were fallers. Twenty controls were randomly selected. The study used descriptive case-control analysis and simple logistic regression to analyze the data. 
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FINDINGS

Eight fallers and four non-fallers had high MFS scores. The logistic regression model indicated that patients with high MFS scores were 5.3 times more likely to fall and that for each day patients experienced diarrhea, their risk of fall increased 1.2 times.

Prognostic Utility of the Braden Scale and the Morse Fall Scale in Hospitalized Patients With Heart Failure

Geriatric syndromes are common in hospitalized elders with heart failure (HF), but association with clinical outcomes is not well characterized. The purpose of this study ( N = 289) was to assess presence of geriatric syndromes using Joint Commission-mandated measures, the Braden Scale (BS) and Morse Fall Scale (MFS), and to explore prognostic utility in hospitalized HF patients. Data extracted from the electronic medical record included sociodemographics, medications, clinical data, comorbid conditions, and the BS and MFS. The primary outcome of mortality was assessed using Social Security Death Master File. Statistical analysis included Cox proportional hazards models to assess association between BS and MFS scores and all-cause mortality with adjustment for known clinical prognostic factors. Higher risk BS and MFS scores were common in hospitalized HF patients, but were not independent predictors of survival. Further study of the clinical utility of these scores and other measures of geriatric syndromes in HF is warranted.

Predicting falls using two instruments (the Hendrich Fall Risk Model and the Morse Fall Scale) in an acute care setting in Lebanon

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To assess the predictive value of two instruments (the Morse Fall Scale (MFS) and the Heindrich II Fall Risk Model (HFRM)] in a Middle Eastern country (Lebanon) and to evaluate the factors that are related to falls.

DESIGN

A prospective observational cross-sectional design was used.

BACKGROUND

Falls and fall-related injuries in the acute care settings contribute a substantial health and economic burden on patients and organisations. Preventing falls is a priority for most healthcare organisations. While the risk of falling cannot be eliminated, it can be significantly reduced through accurate assessment of patients' risk of falling.

METHODS

Data from 1815 inpatients at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) in Lebanon were evaluated using two instruments to predict falls: the MFS and the HFRM.

RESULTS

The incidence of falls was 2·7% in one year. The results indicate that while the instruments were significantly correlated, the HFRM was more sensitive in predicting falls than the MFS. The internal consistency of both scales was moderate, but inter-rater reliability was high. Patients using antiepileptic drugs and assistance devises had higher odds of falling.

CONCLUSIONS

Although both instruments were easy to use in a Middle Eastern country, the HFRM rather than the MFS is recommended for inpatients in an acute care setting as it had higher sensitivity and specificity.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

It is recommended that while the HFRM had adequate sensitivity, it is not seamless, and as such, nurses should not rely entirely on it. Rather, nurses should use their expert clinical judgement, their ethical obligations and cultural considerations to implement a safer environment of care for the patient.

Validity of the Morse Fall Scale implemented in an electronic medical record system

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To examine the validity of the Morse Fall Scale by analysing the electronic medical records on fall risk during different phases of hospitalisation.

BACKGROUND

Regular monitoring on fall risk with a reliable and valid assessment tool is a key element in the fall prevention. In Korea, the Morse Fall Scale is currently being used in numerous medical institutions, yet it has not been comprehensively evaluated whether it is suitable and valid.

DESIGN

The study design was a retrospective case-control study.

METHODS

The participants included 151 fallers and 694 nonfallers. Data were extracted from a university hospital implementing Morse Fall Scale in the electronic medical records between October 2010 and June 2011. The nonfallers were selected by the stratified random sampling method among the patients who were in the hospital during the same period as the fallers. The Morse Fall Scale scores during three different time periods of hospital stay were used for analysis: the initial assessment score upon admission, the last and the maximum scores recorded from admission to the fall or discharge.

RESULTS

With the maximum Morse Fall Scale score and the best cut-off point of 51, validity indicators showed the highest performance: 0·72 for sensitivity, 0·91 for specificity, 0·63 for positive predictive value, 0·94 for negative predictive value, 0·63 for Youden Index and 0·77 for the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve.

CONCLUSION

The Morse Fall Scale showed relatively high predictive performance for the Korean population.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

The study results recommend practice change in fall prevention. As the validity was highest when the patient was first classified into the high-risk group based on the Morse Fall Scale cut-off score 51, patients classified as high risk should be placed under special nursing interventions until the day of their discharge, regardless of change in the patient state.