Fall Risk Assessment
Fall risk assessment is the systematic evaluation of a patient's likelihood of falling using validated tools — Morse Fall Scale, STRATIFY, Hendrich II — and the implementation of evidence-based fall prevention protocols to reduce falls and fall-with-injury rates, a TJC National Patient Safety Goal.
What is Fall Risk Assessment?
An estimated 700,000–1,000,000 patient falls occur in U.S. hospitals annually; approximately 30% result in injury, and fall-with-injury is classified as a CMS Never Event category and a hospital-acquired condition (HAC) that can trigger non-payment. Three validated fall risk assessment tools dominate clinical practice: the Morse Fall Scale (six items scored 0–125; score ≥45 = high risk, ≥25 = moderate risk; most widely used in acute care), STRATIFY (five items; score ≥2 = at risk), and the Hendrich II Fall Risk Model (seven items including Get-Up-and-Go test and confusion/depression status). Evidence-based fall prevention interventions include placing the bed in the lowest position, ensuring call lights are within reach, providing non-slip footwear, conducting hourly nursing rounds, establishing individualized toileting schedules, and activating bed/chair alarms for high-risk patients. The Joint Commission designates fall prevention as a National Patient Safety Goal (NPSG 09.02.01), requiring accredited hospitals to implement a fall reduction program. Target fall rates: general medical units benchmark at 2–5 falls per 1,000 patient days; high-performing fall prevention programs target below 1.5 per 1,000 patient days. Falls with injury rates should remain below 0.5 per 1,000 patient days. High-risk patient identification compliance (the percentage of at-risk patients with a completed Morse or equivalent assessment within 24 hours of admission) is a leading indicator for fall outcomes.
Why It Matters for Healthcare Analytics
A single fall with injury costs an average of $30,000 in additional hospital care. Falls also trigger HAC non-payment policies, increase length of stay, create liability exposure, and drive HCAHPS scores down. Tracking fall rates by unit, shift, and time of day — alongside Morse assessment completion rates and high-risk intervention compliance — gives nurse leaders the data to target prevention efforts at the right patients on the right units.
How Vizier Tracks Fall Risk
Upload your quality and nursing data and ask "What is our fall rate per 1,000 patient days by unit and shift this month, and what percentage of high-risk patients had a completed fall risk assessment within 24 hours of admission?" — Vizier calculates rates and compliance simultaneously, surfacing the units where both metrics need attention.