Citation

Spetz J, Brown DS, Aydin C. J. Nurs. Adm. 2015; 45(1): 50-57.

Affiliation

Author Affiliations: Professor (Dr Spetz), Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies & Center for the Health Professions, University of California, San Francisco; Executive Director for Cost Improvement Strategy (Dr Brown), Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, and Senior Scientist (Dr Brown), Collaborative Alliance for Nursing Outcomes (CALNOC), San Ramon, California; and Research Scientist, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Burns & Allen Research Institute, Los Angeles; and DataManagement Services Director (Dr Aydin), CALNOC, San Ramon, California.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/NNA.0000000000000154

PMID

25479175

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess the cost savings associated with implementing nursing approaches to prevent in-hospital falls.

BACKGROUND: Hospital rating programs often report fall rates, and performance-based payment systems force hospitals to bear the costs of treating patients after falls. Some interventions have been demonstrated as effective for falls prevention.

METHODS: Costs of falls-prevention programs, financial savings associated with in-hospital falls reduction, and achievable fall rate improvement are measured using published literature. Net costs are calculated for implementing a falls-prevention program as compared with not making improvements in patient fall rates.

RESULTS: Falls-prevention programs can reduce the cost of treatment, but in many scenarios, the costs of falls-prevention programs were greater than potential cost savings.

CONCLUSIONS: Falls-prevention programs need to be carefully targeted to patients at greatest risk in order to achieve cost savings.

Language: en