Purpose
This study aimed to examine the factors influencing the degree of harm caused by fall incidents in hospitals.
Methods
This cross-sectional descriptive study used secondary data from the “Korean Patient Safety Incident Report 2019” and was based on the International Classification for Patient Safety conceptual framework. We analyzed a total of 4,176 fall incidents between January 1 and December 31, 2019, in Korea. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify the factors that influence the degree of harm from these incidents.
Results
Among the fall incidents, 443 (10.6%) were sentinel events, 2,514 (60.2%) were adverse events, and 1,219 (29.2%) were near misses. The factors associated with sentinel events were old age (≥60 years), gender, patient diagnosis, medical department, early detection after falls, long-term care hospital, and reporters. Adverse events were significantly associated with diagnosis, medical department, nurses’ night shift time, large bed size, location (i.e., operating room, recovery room, and intensive care unit), and reporters.
Conclusion
Both patient and incident characteristics are significantly associated with the degree of harm in hospitals. Therefore, multiple factors should be considered to establish healthcare policies and thus prevent fall risks and minimize damage following falls in hospitals.

Citations

• Factors Affecting Fall Incidents at Long-term Care Hospitals: Using Data from the Korea Patient Safety Reporting and Learning System
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  Korean Journal of Adult Nursing.2024; 36(4): 298.     CrossRef
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• Factors Associated with Patient Safety Incidents in Long-Term Care Hospitals: A Secondary Data Analysis
  Sookhee Yoon, Myungsuk Kang
  Korean Journal of Adult Nursing.2022; 34(3): 295.     CrossRef