Supporting a patient during a therapy session.
Preventing patient falls is something hospital teams work together on every day. This includes keeping pathways clear, reviewing medication, making sure walking aids are nearby and providing extra support to patients who need it.
Despite these measures, falls can still happen and can have a significant impact on a patient’s recovery, potentially leading to injury, loss of confidence and a longer stay in hospital.
The EPR could help by giving staff a clearer picture of each patient and the factors that may put them at risk, making it easier to identify where additional support may be needed.
Staff already look for the root causes of falls and aim for prevention, but with patient notes spread across paper files and different systems, it is not always easy to quickly get a complete picture of the patient.
When the EPR is in place, it will bring this information together in one place, giving a clearer view of a patient’s symptoms, condition and mobility.
The EPR will also include prompts to make sure full assessments are carried out for patients known to be at higher risk. These assessments can trigger actions such as referrals to an occupational therapist or physiotherapist, as well as adding tasks to nursing worklists.
This should make it quicker and easier for teams to follow existing protocols and help reduce preventable falls, or reduce the level of harm if a fall does occur.