#mydeadlyPhD

What is the role of acquired communication disability in the falls of people with stroke in hospital? 


Supervisors: 

Professor Bronwyn Hemsley, University of Technology Sydney (primary supervisor)
Dr. Katherine Harding, Eastern Health, La Trobe University
Dr Ian Skinner, Charles Sturt University

Funding 
This research has been funded by an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship and a Jumbunna Postgraduate Research Scholarship.

Background

Falls are one of the most common, harmful and costly hospital patient safety incidents (Batchelor et al., 2012). Falls potentially result in serious injury, loss of ability and confidence to mobile, increased length of stay and increased cost of care in hospital (Batchelor et al., 2012; Morello et al., 2015).

Patients with stroke are at an increased risk of falls, with an incidence of between 14% - 65% (Batchelor et al., 2012; Stroke Foundation, 2016). Patients with communication disability after a stroke have difficulties with speech or language (e.g., dysarthria, aphasia, apraxia of speech). These patients are three times more likely to experience a patient safety incident whilst in hospital (Bartlett et al., 2008).

There is little research that explores the role that communication disability might have on falls risk and rate of falling and the circumstances that lead up to or follow a fall. As a result, there is a lack of evidence based guidance on ways we could reduce the risk of falling in people with a communication disability after a stroke.

Aims of the research 

 The aims of this research are:

  • Investigate any association between communication disability due to a stroke and falls 
  • Investigate the circumstances and outcomes of falls in hospital for people with a communication disability due to a stroke
  • Understand the views and experiences of people with a communication disability due to stroke who fall in hospital 
  • Identify strategies to reduce the risk of falls in people with a communication disability due to stroke.
Expected Outcomes 
  • new knowledge regarding any association between communication disability due to stroke and falls in hospital 
  • evidence base for identification of risk of falls and falls prevention in people with communication disability due to stroke in hospital
  • Add to evidence base in stroke care
References 
Bartlett, G., Blais, R., Tamblyn, R., Clermont, R. J., & MacGibbon, B. (2008). Impact of patient communication problems on the risk of preventable adverse events in acute care settings. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 178(12), 1555-1562. 
Batchelor, F. A., Mackintosh, S. F., Said, C. M., & Hill, K. D. (2012). Falls after stroke. International Journal of Stroke, 7(6), 482-490. doi:10.1111/j.1747-4949.2012.00796.x
Morello, R.T., Barker, A.L., Watts, J.J., Haines, T., Zavarsek, S.S., Hill, K.D., Brand, C., Sherrington, C., Wolfe, R., Bohensky, M.A., Stoelwinder, J.U. (2015). The extra resource burden of in-hospital falls: a cost of falls study. Medical Journal of Australia, 203(9), 367.e1 – 367.e8. doi:10.5694/mja15.00296
Stroke Foundation. (2016). National Stroke Audit Rehabilitation Services Report. Retrieved from https://informme.org.au/stroke-data/Rehabilitation-audits

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