Joint Commission: New Sentinel Event Alert on patient falls

Editor's Note

The Joint Commission has issued a new Sentinel Event Alert on patient falls. The alert examines the contributing factors to falls and suggests solutions to be implemented by healthcare organizations to help reduce falls and falls with injury.

Any patient of any age or physical ability can be at risk for a fall because of medications, surgery, procedures, or diagnostic testing that can leave them weakened and confused, the Joint Commission says.

The alert includes links to toolkits, research on falls prevention, and the Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare’s new Preventing Falls Targeted Solutions Tool.

Joint Commission Online Weekly Newsletter