1. Fall Prevention in a Hospital Setting Design Team: Jessica Cullen Amy Dassler Sue Desai Advised by: Allen Kaiser, M.D. Julie Foss, MSN/RN Vanderbilt University Dept. of Biomedical Engineering

2. Definition of a Fall  Change from a higher level to a lower level, with or without assistance, with or without a witness

3. Pertinent Statistics  Estimated annual U.S. fall treatment costs $20.2 billion (USA Today, 11/98)  Expected hospital stay post-fall is 14 days (USA Today, 11/98)

4. Pertinent Statistics, cont.  1.5 falls per year for every occupied hospital bed (www.rnplus.com)  2.5 falls per year for every occupied long-term care bed (www.rnplus.com

5. Current Fall Prevention on 8N  Pressure sensors/alarms on every bed  Falls risk identification standard  LAMP – L ook A t M e P lease  Sitters

6. Project Definition  Objective: analyze falls data and determine the best method of reducing falls in a portable, cost effective design which is also user friendly

7. Design Considerations  Compliance to current hospital standards – including JCAHO  Utilizes in-house technology  Adequate response time  Decreased false positives

8. Current Status  Observed current conditions and available equipment on 8N  Attended nursing staff meetings  Met with Rick Clark and Jim Hutchinson of the VUMC Biomedical Electronics Department  Met with Ken Browning from Plant Services  Met with Sandy Bledsoe from Risk Management

9. Future Plans  Obtain VUMC Risk Management data  Observe floor activity at night  Meet with Larry Tidwell, bed maintenance and repair and Tony Hatchett, VP of South Western Communications  Research advantages and limitations of technology already in place, but not utilized