National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
Latest available findings on quality of and access to health care
Data
- Data Infographics
- Data Visualizations
- Data Tools
- Data Innovations
- All-Payer Claims Database
- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP)
- Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS)
- AHRQ Quality Indicator Tools for Data Analytics
- State Snapshots
- United States Health Information Knowledgebase (USHIK)
- Data Sources Available from AHRQ
Search All Research Studies
AHRQ Research Studies Date
AHRQ Research Studies
Sign up: AHRQ Research Studies Email updates
Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
Results
1 to 1 of 1 Research Studies DisplayedDykes PC, Curtin-Bowen M, Lipsitz S
Cost of inpatient falls and cost-benefit analysis of implementation of an evidence-based fall prevention program.
The financial implications of patient falls within healthcare settings, a primary cause of nonreimbursable negative incidents, have not been thoroughly investigated. The aim of this study was to determine the expenses related to inpatient falls and the potential cost savings achieved through the adoption of a proven fall prevention program. This economic assessment employed a matched case-control approach, utilizing results from an interrupted time series analysis that evaluated the alterations in fall rates after the introduction of an evidence-based fall prevention program to estimate inpatient fall expenses. Subsequently, an economic analysis was conducted to evaluate the cost advantages of implementing the program across two American healthcare systems from June 1, 2013, to August 31, 2019, in New York, New York, and Boston, Massachusetts. All adult patients admitted to the participating units were included in the analysis. Data analysis took place between October 2021 and November 2022. The fall prevention program, based on evidence, was introduced in 33 medical and surgical departments across eight hospitals. The primary outcome was the expense related to inpatient falls. Secondary outcomes included costs and savings linked to the evidence-based fall prevention program. The study found that the case-control study and economic analysis included 10,176 patients who experienced a fall event (with or without injury) and 29,161 matched controls without a fall event (51.9% aged 65-74 years, 67.1% White, and 53.6% male). Prior to the intervention, there were 2,503 falls and 900 injuries; following the intervention, there were 2,078 falls and 758 injuries. Based on a 19% decrease in falls and a 20% decrease in injury-causing falls from the beginning to the end of the post-intervention period, the economic analysis revealed that noninjurious and injurious falls led to cost increases of $35,365 and $36,776, respectively. The introduction of the evidence-based fall prevention program resulted in $14,600 in net avoided expenses for every 1000 patient-days.
AHRQ-funded; HS027557; HS025128
Citation: Dykes PC, Curtin-Bowen M, Lipsitz S .
Cost of inpatient falls and cost-benefit analysis of implementation of an evidence-based fall prevention program.
JAMA Health Forum 2023 Jan 6;4(1):e225125. doi: 10.1001/jamahealthforum.2022.5125.
Keywords: Falls, Healthcare Delivery, Evidence-Based Practice, Prevention