Developing a systematic fall risk assessment tool for outpatient clinics

Background In healthcare settings, fall incidents represent a significant public health issue and often result in severe injuries, prolonged hospital admissions, and substantial healthcare costs. Despite current fall risk reduction strategies, falls continue to be among the leading causes of sentinel events. Objective This study aims to identify fall risk factors present in an outpatient clinic work system and develop tools to support proactive risk mitigation. Research Design We introduced a systematic fall risk assessment (SFRA) tool where front-line staff can evaluate their work systems for fall risks. The tool was developed using literature review, observations, and interviews with focus groups. The tool includes step-by-step instructions for an outpatient clinic fall risk assessment, factors to consider in various settings of patient care, and guiding principles to address fall risks in an outpatient work system. Results This tool underwent user testing, which validated its learnability, usability, and usefulness, and was rated positively by a diverse range of clinics and roles. Our preliminary results suggested that the tool was effective in identifying potential fall risk factors of outpatient clinics, even when used by non-experts. Conclusion We demonstrated the effective use of human factors methods to equip front-line staff with tools to proactively evaluate outpatient clinic work systems for fall risks and develop mitigation strategies.