Reducing Fall-Related Injuries by a Third with Epic

Montefiore Medical Center reduced the average fall-with-injury rate by 34% after using Epic to implement the Fall TIPS (Tailoring Interventions for Patient Safety) program, an evidence based Falls Prevention initiative.

Falls are a leading cause of death and disability, with a third of older adults falling each year. Hospitalization increases the risk for falls, with 3% of hospitalized patients falling and 30% of those falls resulting in injury.

Fall TIPS was originally designed by Partners HealthCare System’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital and piloted by Montefiore. Montefiore integrated Fall TIPS tools into Epic documentation, so TIPS is part of nurses’ routine workflows and the process is more streamlined.

When a patient is admitted, a nurse works with the patient or their family to complete an assessment in Epic that identifies the patient’s risk factors for having a fall in the hospital, based on information such as the patient’s history of falls. Using those risk factors, the nurse works with the patient or the patient’s family to create a personalized fall risk reduction care plan. The nurse repeats this assessment throughout the inpatient stay, and again if the patient’s condition changes.

Information from the patient’s assessment and personalized care plan is added to a Fall Prevention Information poster in Epic, which the nurse prints and reviews with the patient and the patient’s family before hanging it next to the bed. The poster explains why the patient is considered to be at risk for falling and shows the interventions included in the plan to avoid falling, such as asking to have needed items within reach or calling for help to get out of bed.

“We see more engagement of patients, families, and nurses,” said Mary Ellen Lindros, Nursing Quality Officer at Montefiore. “Patients are much more likely to understand their fall risk and appreciate the opportunity to contribute to the plan.”

Over 125 hospitals worldwide currently use the Fall TIPS program to reduce their patient fall rates.

Read more at Fall TIPS. Epic community members can view Montefiore’s UGM presentation slides and listen to the audio.