To meet the challenge of reducing falls, hospitals need to adopt an effective falls prevention program. GetWellNetwork partnered with leading hospitals to develop an advanced digital tool for administering falls risk assessments. The GetWellNetwork Falls Prevention Tool enables nurses and staff to perform risk assessments at the point of care for improved efficiency and patient engagement. Using the bedside TV, patients and caregivers complete the risk assessment together while the GetWellNetwork system computes the score and documents back to the EMR. The result is a more accurate and efficient falls prevention program with fewer patient falls.

Risk Assessments at the Point of Care

Imagine you are having a conversation with a patient and their family about avoiding falls. At the center of that conversation is a falls risk assessment that you administer alongside the patient and their family. The Falls Prevention Tool enables you, the patient and their family to determine the patient’s risk of falling together at the bedside. Performing risk assessments at the bedside is more convenient and makes it easier for nurses and staff to complete mandatory falls assessments. Additionally, the patient and their family are able to participate in the assessment, ask questions and ultimately be better prepared to avoid falls.

Accurate and Efficient Risk Scoring

Staff begin the risk assessment by accessing the QuickCare (staff only) tools available on the patient’s TV. If this is not the first assessment, the patient’s previous risk score will be displayed. The staff member then launches the assessment test and walks through the questions together with the patient and their family. The Falls Prevention Tool can accommodate all varieties of risk assessment scales – whether you have developed a custom scale or are licensing one. Scoring is matched to falls risk thresholds to ensure the GetWellNetwork system displays the appropriate falls risk educational content.

The patient’s risk score is automatically tallied and documented to the patient’s electronic medical record – eliminating the opportunity for human error found in pen and paper assessments. The entire process takes less time and is less prone to errors than typical risk assessment workflows.

EMR Documentation and Reporting

The Falls Prevention Tool eliminates the need for paper assessments and improves accountability by enabling better reporting. Staff can access reports that include assessment values of cumulative score for all patients by unit or facility. As each risk assessment is completed, another entry is created in the patient’s profile. Quality administrators can view accurate reports on how consistently staff is assessing risk, how frequently, and if assessments are occurring at the appropriate times. They can look at current and previous risk levels for patients throughout the facility and ensure that your hospital is compliant with Joint Commission safety guidelines around risk prevention.