Fall prevention is a hot topic among professionals in many healthcare environments.
Everyone agrees that patients who are identified as fall risks need special care and
attention.
While the first step in fall prevention is identification of those at risk, the next and more
complicated step is to ensure that all staff are aware of the risk so they can take the
necessary measures to protect the patient.
We have witnessed and heard of many methods of displaying/identifying fall risk patients
to the care team, from falling leaves on a doorway, to special socks, to sliding plastic
tabs, to red flags, to clipboards, to yellow triangles. For the healthcare facilities choosing
to identify a patient with a sign on the door the yellow triangle seems to be the most
commonly used (among the professionals we’ve talked to.)
The problem, as with other precaution notices such as allergy alerts and isolation
warnings, is that the signs/notices are often inconsistent, not only between facilities, but
even between floors and departments. Another problem is that often times, the warnings
are not noticeable or have fallen off. Visitors and other persons passing through the
hallway may inadvertently move a slider or knock down a “Post-it” note or sign posted
with tape on a door. Clipboards don’t always get read and sometimes present HIPPA
issues. Additionally, if too many signs are displayed, it can become an aesthetics issue.
Finally, there are instances where the signs are not removed and an isolation warning
or allergy alert is incorrectly displayed for a room when the patient has already left the
facility.
Electronic Precautions Notice displays outside a patient’s door using standardized
symbols or phrases could resolve some of the most difficult issues. Displays are
securely mounted outside patient’s rooms, use graphic icons which are easily identified,
are updated from a central database and create an audit trail of activity. We think
this technology can lead to a safer and more secure environment for all involved.
To learn more about electronic patient safety precautions displays please contact us at
info@scanamco.com or call 800-366-2368.
