Looking for a Psychiatric Fall Risk Assessment Tool - Abstract
Patient falls are common in hospitals. Patients are usually assessed for falls upon admission to psychiatric units. A risk assessment must be specific to the population served. However, evidence to support the best tool for psychiatric inpatient population is lacking. Proper identification and precise assessment of individuals at risk are important components of fall prevention programs. The use of some fall assessment tools may place patients at risk, limiting the opportunity for increased intervention for high-risk patients. The purpose of this review was to identify various fall assessment tools to determine the best instrument for psychiatric inpatients. Recommendations and a comparison of selected fall risk assessment tools are listed in a table.