Patient Falls- national (USA) statistics desperately needed

Nurses Safety

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Hi all,

I am doing a huge project (thesis-level) on patient falls. Despite being decently adept at the internet and having a strange and actual enjoyment of browsing through peer reviewed journals/databases, I have actually not been able to find a SINGLE statistic on the number (or even estimate) of patient falls that have occurred, nationwide, in the USA for either 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, or 2010.

I have tried so many different search terms, data bases, googled and yahoo'd every corner of the internet, tried EBSCOHost, and other countless nursing related peer-reviewed journals and just...have fallen short. All I am getting is studies done at certain hospitals, or things like that. I have browsed so many nursing societies and professional nursing groups websites, including the ANA, and the Texas Branch of the ANA....even the JCAHO site.

Does someone anywhere out there know if there even is a statistic on the actual number of patient falls that happened per year, any year, in the past five years? With the huge safety (and monetary) deal that patient falls are, it seems like there would be a concrete nation wide number saying "this many hospitalized patients in the USA fell in _____."

I am finding things like "amount of damages/costs caused by patient falls," and "deaths caused by patient falls," and those things are helpful but they aren't the general concrete number I really need. It seems like such a simple thing that would or should exist and I am about to pull my hair out with frustration after spending the entire day looking for this number or something close to it from a reputable source. I have used terms such as incidence, prevalence, etc. Please please please help me!

My most sincere thanks and appreciation to anyone who can find this statistic for me.

"A very desperate but hopeful RN with only one class left before I get my BSN."

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

It occurs to me: should a "thesis-level" project (your term) be reliant upon an internet forum's search result?

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I believe the OP is looking for a source, not the actual stat.

The CDC maintains a page devoted to the cost of falls. It includes a breakdown for nursing homes, but not -- at a quick glance, anyway -- a breakdown for falls that occur in hospitals. Still, there are extensive references. You might find something helpful in there.

I'm presuming you've already checked out the Center for Medicare/Medicaid. Since they've stopped reimbursing for conditions that are hospital-acquired, they must have a stat somewhere to justify that.

Good luck!

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Roser13

Well, that is a great question. However, the most up to date info IS on the internet, and it is where my instructor is telling me to look. So, I was thinking that a nursing journal or health-related data base with peer reviewed journals (which I enjoy reading for fun anyway) would have this statistic. I would think that even JCAHO would have it, but it does not seem to exist.

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I believe the OP is looking for a source, not the actual stat.

The CDC maintains a page devoted to the cost of falls. It includes a breakdown for nursing homes, but not -- at a quick glance, anyway -- a breakdown for falls that occur in hospitals. Still, there are extensive references. You might find something helpful in there.

I'm presuming you've already checked out the Center for Medicare/Medicaid. Since they've stopped reimbursing for conditions that are hospital-acquired, they must have a stat somewhere to justify that.

Good luck!

Thank you, Freedom42. You are correct. In fact, I am not looking for an "internet forum result," but was searching for suggestions from people (nurses such as myself) who might be able to help me find just a simple statistic on the number of patient falls that are documented in one of the past five years from a reputable source. I figured that since users get on here to ask questions about things such as medications, or to vent about a bad day on the unit or just in general....to relate to other nurses, that I would be met with a helpful reply rather than a snarky one. So, Freedom42, thank you for your suggestion and kindness. It is received with equal kindness and gratitude. Again, I don't want anyone to do my work for me-- but at a certain point, we as nurses, we as students, we as humans, have to know when it is time to ask for help, guidance, or perhaps a different way of doing something. Freedom42, again, thank you very much.

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You're welcome. Unfortunately, I'm now obsessed with the question!

Is there a hospital statistician you could ask? All those reports we've got to file for patient falls must go somewhere. Perhaps the statistician would know to what agency they are reported.

I agree with you: That stat has got to exist somewhere. I'll bet JCAHO's got it, probably in a white paper. So far all I can find, though, is tracking for falls related to sentinel events.

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It occurs to me: should a "thesis-level" project (your term) be reliant upon an internet forum's search result?

Yes, that is correct. "Thesis-level" project is in fact my term. And, I am not solely relying upon an internet forum such as allnurses.com to find my answers as I mentioned in my original post I mentioned that I had searched many databases with peer reviewed journals, the JCAHO website, and so forth. You may or may not recall. I came to allnurses.com as a sort of refuge, a place to seek perhaps a different way of thinking about a problem I was having in finding this one particular piece of data....not to be reliant about an "internet forum search result." When we are working on the floor and our fellow nurses are at the end of their rope trying to figure something out- what do we do? Berate them for trying a new (non harmful route) by seeking advice? Or, do we genuinely and gladly help them with whatever advice or guidance we may be able to offer?

I will never refuse knowledge, nor will I refuse to opportunity to help someone with a problem when they simply don't know which direction to look for a solution anymore. Being met with hostility, sarcasm or judgement is not a good way to facilitate a fellow nurse's growth in his or her education and profession.

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You're welcome. Unfortunately, I'm now obsessed with the question!

Is there a hospital statistician you could ask? All those reports we've got to file for patient falls must go somewhere. Perhaps the statistician would know to what agency they are reported.

I agree with you: That stat has got to exist somewhere. I'll bet JCAHO's got it, probably in a white paper. So far all I can find, though, is tracking for falls related to sentinel events.

Yes, and that is why I am pulling my hair out over this. I have spent...seriously, HOURS, looking on EBSCOHost, so many peer reviewed nursing and medical journals, international nursing websites, JCAHO, OSHA, medicare/medicaid, NIH, and seemingly everywhere. It seems to me that if a)hospital reimbursements are going to be stopped or lessened because of falls, there would be a statistic SOMEWHERE available to the public (because this is a public health issue AND is a public issue because it relates to tax payer dollars) about an estimated number of falls per (one year in the past five years) across all 50 great states in our union. Yet, I am unable to find it.

I work in a small day surgery clinic where I don't have any access to a hospital statisician, but your suggestion is appreciated. I might be able to find contact info for my statistics teacher I had long ago, and maybe she can point me in the right direction. Once again and to be clear, I don't want "an internet forum" to provide me with my answers- we as humans, nurses, students- sometimes have to look at challenging subjects and situations in a new way, and sometimes that involves seeking advice from others. Thank you freedom42 for your help! Knowing this piece of data would actually benefit us all! If you find anything, let me know. Until then I will keep burning the midnight oil in my quest for personal and professional growth. YOU ARE APPRECIATED, Freedom42.

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Specializes in Cardiac ICU.

Statistics that I found on TJC's website had this disclaimer:

"The reporting of most sentinel events to The Joint Commission is voluntary and represents only a small proportion of actual events. Therefore, these data are not an epidemiologic data set and no conclusions should be drawn about the actual relative frequency of events or trends in events over time."

So The Joint Commission has the number of falls THEY investigated, but not total falls in the country from the info I found. And they aren't the only recognized accreditation group, so some hospitals would not be reporting to them at all.

Not much help. I'll keep looking.

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Statistics that I found on TJC's website had this disclaimer:

"The reporting of most sentinel events to The Joint Commission is voluntary and represents only a small proportion of actual events. Therefore, these data are not an epidemiologic data set and no conclusions should be drawn about the actual relative frequency of events or trends in events over time."

So The Joint Commission has the number of falls THEY investigated, but not total falls in the country from the info I found. And they aren't the only recognized accreditation group, so some hospitals would not be reporting to them at all.

Not much help. I'll keep looking.

jac133 ---- WOW. That actually explains a lot. Thank you so much, I really appreciate that information. See, even if this wasn't for a big project, wouldn't it be good to be able to tell a fall precauation patient who refuses to stay in bed, "________________ number of falls across the United States happened in 2006, and I care about you and don't want that to happen to you, dear sir." Do you know what I mean? I really appreciate your diligence and kindness in helping me find this data. Sometimes we all need help, sometimes we all need a fresh perspective or a new way of looking at a problem that is making our craniums hurt. Thank you so much! I will let everyone know what I find, and appreciate the same in return.

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing, Endoscopy Nursing, me.

Hi;

Have you tried to google "national benchmark patient falls"? Try that and I am going to PM you a link I found..hope this helps!

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Hi;

Have you tried to google "national benchmark patient falls"? Try that and I am going to PM you a link I found..hope this helps!

No but I tried something very similar. However, I will try that exact string of words. I actually have my preceptor for clinicals involved because I thought I was out of my mind because I couldn't find this. Also, my own instructor can't find this simple statistic. CRAZY huh? I am not sure if I am able to receive a private message because I am not an upgraded member. Do you know if that is that case?

Again thank you so much! Your help and kindness is appreciated!

:nurse:;)

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