An opportunistic evaluation of a routine service improvement project to reduce falls in hospital

Diane Sheppard, Elaine Clarke, Karla Hemming, James Martin, Richard Lilford

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Abstract

Background

Preventing falls in hospital is a perennial patient safety issue. The University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire initiated a programme to train ward staff in accordance with guidelines. The National Institute for Health Research Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care West Midlands was asked to expedite an independent evaluation of the initiative. We set out to describe the intervention to implement the guidelines and to evaluate it by means of a step-wedge cluster study using routinely collected data.

 

Methods

The evaluation was set up as a partially randomised, step-wedge cluster study, but roll-out across wards was more rapid than planned. The study was therefore analysed as a time-series. Primary outcome was rate of falls per 1000 Occupied Bed Days (OBDs) collected monthly using routine data. Data was analysed using a mixed-effects Poisson regression model, with a fixed effect for intervention, time and post-intervention time. We allowed for random variations across clusters in initial fall rate, pre-intervention slope and post-intervention slope.

 

Results

There was an average of 6.62 falls per 1000 OBDs in the control phase, decreasing to an average of 5.89 falls per 1000 OBDs in the period after implementation to the study end. Regression models showed no significant step change in fall rates (IRR: 1.02, 95% CI: 0.92–1.14). However, there was a gradual decrease, of approximately 3%, after the intervention was introduced (IRR: 0.97 per month, 95% CI: 0.95–0.99).

 

Conclusion

The intervention was associated with a small but statistically significantly improvement in falls rates. Expedited roll-out of an intervention may vitiate a step-wedge cluster design, but the intervention can still be studied using a time-series analysis. Assuming that there is some value in time series analyses, this is better than no evaluation at all. However, care is needed in making causal inferences given the non-experimental nature of the design.

Original languageEnglish
Article number79
JournalBMC Health Services Research
Volume21
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 22 Jan 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This research was funded by the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC) West Midlands initiative, now re-commissioned as NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) West Midlands. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care. The funder had no role in the study.

Keywords

  • Falls
  • Implementation
  • Patient safety
  • Rapid response evaluation
  • Time series

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Health Policy

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