title: 'It promoted a positive culture around falls prevention': staff response to a patient education programme-a qualitative evaluation.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to understand how staff responded to individualised patient falls prevention education delivered as part of a cluster randomised trial, including how they perceived the education contributed to falls prevention on their wards.
  
  
  
  A qualitative explanatory study.
  
  
  
  5 focus groups were conducted at participatory hospital sites. The purposive sample of clinical staff (including nurses, physiotherapists and quality improvement staff) worked on aged care rehabilitation wards when a cluster randomised trial evaluating a patient education programme was conducted. During the intervention period, an educator, who was a trained health professional and not a member of staff, provided individualised falls prevention education to patients with good levels of cognition (Mini-Mental State Examination >23/30). Clinical staff were provided with training to support the programme and their feedback was sought after the trial concluded, to understand how they perceived the programme impacted on falls prevention. Data were thematically analysed using NVivo qualitative data analysis software.
  
  
  
  5 focus groups were conducted at different hospitals (n=30 participants). Staff perceived that the education created a positive culture around falls prevention and further, facilitated teamwork, whereby patients and staff worked together to address falls prevention. The educator was perceived to be a valuable member of the team. Staff reported that they developed increased knowledge and awareness about creating a safe ward environment. Patients being proactive and empowered to engage in falls prevention strategies, such as ringing the bell for assistance, was viewed as supporting staff falls prevention efforts and motivating staff to change practice.
  
  
  
  Staff responded positively to patient falls prevention education being delivered on their wards. Providing individualised patient education to older patients with good levels of cognition can empower staff and patients to work as a team to address falls prevention on hospital rehabilitation wards.
authors.affiliation: School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Anne-Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation and Aged Care, Armadale Kelmscott Memorial Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.|Health Strategy and Networks, Strategic System, Policy and Planning, Department of Health, Government of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Waldron
authors.affiliation: School of Physiotherapy, The University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia.|Institute for Health Research, The University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Francis-Coad
authors.affiliation: Physiotherapy Department, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.|Allied Health Research Unit, Monash Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Terry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Haines
authors.affiliation: WA Centre for Health and Ageing, Royal Perth Hospital Unit, School of Medicine and Pharmacology, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.|Centre for Medical Research, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Etherton-Beer
authors.affiliation: WA Centre for Health and Ageing, Royal Perth Hospital Unit, School of Medicine and Pharmacology, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.|Centre for Medical Research, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Leon
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Flicker
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation and Aged Care, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Katharine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ingram
authors.affiliation: Centre for Functioning and Health Research, Metro South Health, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.|Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation and School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Steven M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: McPhail
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003071:Cognition; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006282:Health Personnel; D006760:Hospitalization; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009726:Nurses; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D061214:Patient Safety; D010564:Personnel, Hospital; D059825:Physical Therapists; D011209:Power, Psychological; D036301:Qualitative Research; D058996:Quality Improvement
keywords: GERIATRIC MEDICINE; QUALITATIVE RESEARCH; REHABILITATION MEDICINE