Aims: Inpatient falls are a prevalent concern in healthcare settings, comprehensive post-fall assessments are required to prevent potential complications. This retrospective cohort study evaluates the effectiveness of the Falls pro forma, a structured assessment tool standardising post-fall evaluations, on the completeness of clinical assessments relative to standard evaluation practices in patients who experience inpatient falls.
Methods: Eighty-six patients who experienced an inpatient fall between July 2022 and February 2025 at an Australian secondary centre were retrospectively included in this study. Approximately 20 patients were randomly selected during each collection period and grouped based on whether the falls pro forma was completed. The comprehensiveness of clinical assessments across eight domains: cervical spine, pelvic, neurological, and musculoskeletal examination, coagulopathy/anticoagulation status, cognitive function, cranial injury, and mobility, were compared using chi-square tests.
Results: Of the 86 patients, 47(55%) had a completed falls pro forma, while 39(45%) did not. Falls pro forma completion was associated with significantly higher completion rates across all assessments: cervical spine examination (94% vs. 46%, p<0.0001), pelvic examination (98% vs. 54%, p<0.0001), coagulopathy/anticoagulation status (98% vs. 18%, p<0.0001), cognitive function (89% vs. 41%, p<0.0001), cranial injury (94% vs. 54%, p<0.0001), neurological examination (94% vs. 54%, p<0.0001), musculoskeletal assessment (100% vs. 59%, p<0.0001), and mobility (89% vs. 33%, p=0.0003).
Conclusions: Completion of the falls pro forma significantly improved adherence to clinical assessments, highlighting the importance of structured documentation tools in enhancing post-fall assessments. Efforts to increase compliance with falls pro forma use may contribute to more standardised and comprehensive patient evaluations.