[What, how and why people fall in hospital? Study in a Northern Italian Hospital].
BACKGROUND
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), falls and falls related-injuries are a main issue for health and social systems in Europe and all over the world, particularly considering that life is lengthening.


OBJECTIVE
To describe incidence, causes and falls modalities in a Northern Italian Hospital following the organizational changes set up in 2008.


METHODS
The survey consists of two steps: 1. definition of expected situation according to the literature and other similar contexts; 2. examination of the fall report forms between July 1, 2010 and June 30, 2011.


RESULTS
In this period the incidence of falls has been 0.8% and in 69% of cases patients' intrinsic factors have been identified to be the cause, followed by extrinsic factors (7.4%), organizational factors (5.4%) and inter-professional communication difficulties (3.1%).


CONCLUSIONS
Falls have a multi-factorial etiology, therefore the most effective approach should be multidimensional. A simultaneous action on three levels, organizational, staff/communication and patient, would be needed.
MSc, RN Università degli Studi di Verona. Corrispondence: silviago87@libero.it.
Silvia
S
Gonella
Anna Maddalena
AM
Basso
Maria Carmela
MC
Scaffidi
D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008875:Middle Aged