Lessons Learned From Emergency Department Fall Assessment and Prevention Programs

Objectives This research describes the experiences of emergency departments (EDs) with geriatric fall programs and qualitatively synthesizes lessons learned to inform other EDs planning new fall program implementation. Methods By using grounded theory, we conducted semi-structured, open-ended telephone/skype interviews of emergency physicians and geriatric providers recruited from a purposeful sampling technique. The interviews were transcribed and reviewed by two investigators. The codes were generated and listed, and common concepts emerged. Lastly, the final codes were organized into concepts and themes with the aim to create a strong coding structure. Result The main lessons learned are: (1) understand the hospital’s existing local environment and resources, (2) utilize champions and interdisciplinary teams, (3) acknowledge that specific fall assessment tools and interventions vary widely between institutions, (4) engage in routine plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycles to improve the quality of fall initiatives, and (5) operate under the principle that falls are a syndrome, which must be incorporated within the multifactorial medical needs of geriatric fall patients. Conclusion Based on the lessons learned from our ED fall implementation pioneers, implementing an effective geriatric fall protocol in an ED setting is complicated. Understanding a hospital’s resources, assigning champions, working as an interdisciplinary team, choosing proper fall assessment tools/interventions, and completing regular PDSA cycles are important lessons for ED programs planning to implement their own ED fall programs.