Joint Commission offers online tool to help hospitals reduce falls

The Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare released a tool that aims to help hospitals prevent inpatient falls.  The Preventing Falls Targeted Solutions Tool provides a step-by-step process that helps facilities measure fall rates, identify obstacles to fall prevention, and implement prevention solutions.

In a press release, The Joint Commission said a typical hospital could reduce the number of patients injured from a fall from 117 to 45 and avoid approximately $1 million in annual costs.  The tool was developed with the assistance of seven initial collaborating hospitals and later, five additional facilities. The original participating hospitals were able to reduce falls by 35% and falls with injury by 62%.

Read the press release and visit the falls prevention Targeted Solutions Tool site.