Focus on Falls in Hospital

The first results are in and can be found at the link below! https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/10547738221144214 TLDR: most common type of fall was an unwitnessed fall/roll from bed. Patient factors contributed to 50% of all falls. A third of falls a contributing factor couldn’t be identified due to patients communication disability & fall being unwitnessed. Limited insights to outcomes The Study Overview: The study, a mixed-methods medical record chart review, involved the examination of both retrospective and prospective data. It specifically focused on adult stroke patients with documented communication disabilities admitted to rehabilitation wards. In total, the research team screened 1,863 episodes of care and 99 patient admissions, eventually identifying 109 participants who met the inclusion criteria. Demographics and Communication Disabilities: The participants in this study had an average age of 75.5 years. The majority of them were non-ambulant and required full a...

The final literature review from my PhD can be found in the Australian Health Review.  https://www.publish.csiro.au/ah/AH22289 TLDR: Communication Disability is not often captured as a risk factor for a fall on assessment tools. Limited guidance for staff to adapt f alls prevention education for patients with c ommunication disability Limited identified role for speech path in falls prevention or management Key Findings from the Policy Review The review of hospital and health service policies revealed several significant findings: Assessment of Falls Risk : Communication disability is often overlooked as a risk factor in falls risk assessment tools. These tools frequently categorize communication disability under cognitive impairments, such as dementia or confusion. This conflation leads to inadequate strategies for reducing falls in patients with communication disabilities. Fall risk assessment should include identification and documentation of a patient's communication disabi...

The second paper from my PhD has been published open access in Advances in Communication and Swallowing. Check it out via the link below  https://content.iospress.com/articles/advances-in-communication-and-swallowing/acs210028 In the TLDR: This paper reviews the literature looking at where, when & what happens after falls in this vulnerable population using a patient safety model for analysis. It’s the second literature review and follows nicely from my systematic review. This study looked at the known contributing factors and hazards for falls, circumstances of falls, and outcomes and consequences of falls in patients with communication disability following stroke. The results are briefly outlined below:   Contributing Factors and Hazards The reviewed studies mainly focused on intrinsic risk factors, such as balance impairments, without considering other factors that could contribute to falls. Notably, medications, environmental factors, and the role of family members or...

The first study from my PhD was published in 2020, a systematic review and meta-analysis.  Sullivan, R., Harding, K., Skinner, I., & Hemsley B. (2020) Falls in hospital patients with acquired communication disability secondary to stroke: A systematic review and meta-analysis.  International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders 55( 6), 837-851. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12570      This is a review of 15 studies that included patients with communication disability and is the first to bring together the literature to examine if there is any association between communication disability following stroke and falls in hospital. The results suggest that a non-specific classification of communication disability following stroke is not a risk factor for falls in hospital. However, there was some indication from individual studies that a higher risk of falls may be associated with severe communication disability. The literature is limited by how co...

  April No Falls: An International Campaign Stacks Up April No Falls  is an international campaign aiming to reduce falls and the harm caused by falls. Moving beyond awareness raising, the  April No Falls  campaign provides the latest information on falls prevention strategies and education. Falls are a significant and growing public health issue, with deaths related to falls doubling in the last two decades. Falls within hospitals are common and can often make a great difference to successful outcome in hospital. A fall can make the difference in the patient’s ability to return home or needing to move into supported accommodation or aged care.  During  April No Falls  month in 2021, I attended three online conferences presenting evidence for falls prevention across the lifespan:  -         World Health Organisation Step Safely: Strategies for preventing and managing falls across the life-course  (27 th ...

Hi Everyone, I thought I'd introduce myself. My name is Rebecca and I live in Melbourne with my husband, 4 year old train loving son and our rabbit Lion.  I grew up in Canberra, but my Mum's side of the family is from Cobar. We have traced our Aboriginal heritage to the Aboriginal mission near Brewarrina. We aren't really sure about anything prior to that.  I was very fortunate to be able to attend The University of Sydney to study Speech Pathology as an undergraduate. Even more fortunate to have the support of Yooroang Garang student support unit and the financial support from Puggy Hunter Memorial Scholarship .  Following graduation, I have worked for 15 years as a speech pathologist with adults with acquired swallowing and communication difficulties. I have loved every minute of it, even when it was hard! Now I'm a hopeful PhD candidate with an interest in falls and communication disability after stroke.  Outside of study (!!) I love ru...