Effectiveness of an integrated three‐mode bed exit alarm system in reducing inpatient falls within an acute care setting

Abstract

Aim To examine the effectiveness of an integrated three‐mode bed exit alarm system in reducing inpatient falls within an acute care hospital setting in Singapore. Method A retrospective before‐and‐after study design was adopted. Results Our results revealed that the use of bed exit alarms are associated with a reduction in falls incidence. Conclusion Bed exit alarm systems are associated with reduced fall incidence. Nonetheless, for an institution to benefit from the technology, there will be a need to take into account the effects of “alarm fatigue”, ability of nurses to respond in time to alarms, and selection of right alarm mode/limits based on the patient's profile.

Technological prospecting of patents related to monitoring accidents due to falls in hospitals

“…Systems aimed at detecting falls aim to signal the occurrence of the event. Those intended for prediction and prevention work through wearable sensors, environmental sensors or software applications that collect and analyze data, sending the risk message to pre-determined equipment, speeding up health professionals' work (12,(24)(25)(26)(27) . We observed a trend of inventions aimed at preventing falls, diverging from studies that pointed to detection as a priority, which may represent an important change in approach to patient safety (12,24,(28)(29) .…”

“…Wireless wearable devices stand out due to their ease of use and low cost, optimizing physical space and staff, in addition to adding multiple functionalities. Currently, it is possible to find equipment on the market, such as smart socks, which signal when leaving the bed, radiofrequency identification tags that can be attached to the chest and technology that can be attached to the upper part of the leg, all capable of identifying the movement of patients and forwarding risk information to a defined center (24,(30)(31)(32) .…”

Prospecção tecnológica de patentes relacionadas ao monitoramento de acidentes por quedas em hospitais

“…Os sistemas voltados para detecção de quedas têm por objetivo sinalizar a ocorrência do evento. Já os destinados à previsão e prevenção atuam por meio de sensores vestíveis, de ambiente ou aplicativos de softwares que coletam e analisam os dados, enviando a mensagem de risco a um equipamento pré-determinado, agilizando a atuação do profissional de saúde (12,(24)(25)(26)(27) . Observamos tendência de invenções destinadas à prevenção de quedas, divergindo de estudos que apontavam a detecção como prioridade, o que pode representar uma importante mudança de abordagem na segurança do paciente (12,24,(28)(29) .…”

“…Os dispositivos vestíveis sem fio se destacam devido à facilidade de uso e por apresentarem baixo custo, otimizarem o espaço físico e a equipe, além de agregar múltiplas funcionalidades. Atualmente, é possível encontrar no mercado equipamentos, como meias inteligentes, que sinalizam a saída do leito, etiquetas de identificação por radiofrequência que podem ser anexadas ao tórax e tecnologia que pode ser acoplada na parte superior da perna, todas capazes de identificar a movimentação do paciente e encaminhar a informação de risco a uma central definida (24,(30)(31)(32) .…”

The experiences of older adults with cognitive impairment in using falls prevention alarms in hospital: A qualitative descriptive study

“…In contrast, other studies indicate more technologically advanced alarms may reduce falls. For example, beds with inbuilt alarm systems that detect people sitting to lying, sitting on the edge of the bed, or standing have been shown to reduce falls (Seow et al, 2021). Most research has not purposively sampled those with cognitive impairment, except a small study, which revealed alarms were associated with a significant reduction in falls (Wong Shee et al, 2014).…”