Mater Private Hospital Brisbane

July to December 2018

Falls prevention

Mater has a strong commitment to prevent falls and harm from falls when they do occur.  We actively encourage all staff to report patient falls so that we can take each and every opportunity to learn and put in place improved prevention strategies.  We are striving to reduce the number of patient falls and use measures to monitor our performance and maintain unrelenting commitment to reduce the number of patient falls and will continue to meet the challenge to not just be the same as other hospitals but better.

Patient Falls

Measure

This measure represents the rate of patients who have been hospitalised for greater than one day, who have been reported by staff to have had a fall. The comparison rate has been derived from an average of some 300 plus hospitals who participate in the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards clinical indicator program.  Each hospital is measured against ‘peer’ hospitals (hospitals of similar size and complexity) to improve the relevance of comparison. A lower number is better.

Performance

Mater Health Services continues to be challenged in the efforts to reduce patient falls but remains consistent with other like hospitals.  Mater is focused on collaborating with patients and families to plan care and prevent falls. A new initiative called CaREset has been introduced across Mater which involves standardising work practices to ensure consistency in the care provided to our patients.

Mater Private Hospital Brisbane has responded to a small increase in falls rates with specific service improvement projects and increased staff focus and commitment to collaborate with patients and families. The results remain consistent with other like hospitals.

Patient Falls (Patients Over 65 Years)

Measure

The biggest population of patients that are at risk of falls whilst in hospital are those over the age of 65 years.  This is because the frequency of falls increases with age, which is recognised as a problem worldwide. Mater is in line with international organisations such as the World Health Organisation in focusing efforts on prevention in this group of patients.

This measure represents the rate of patients who have been reported to have had a fall in hospital and are aged over 65 years.  This is an important measure as patients over the age of 65 years have been shown to be at greater risk of sustaining an injury if they fall.  A lower number is better.

Performance

Given the increase risk of harm from falling for patients aged over 65 years, Mater Hospital Brisbane and Mater Private Hospital Brisbane have focused on this population in improvement strategies. As a result of a significant amount of work being undertaken over recent years, we are now starting to see improved outcomes.  In the latest reporting period, Mater has reduced the number of patient falls in this patient category.

Mater Private Hospital Brisbane continues to perform consistently against this measure. There remains a strong emphasis on staff and patient collaboration when planning care to prevent falls.