Katherine Virkstis, ND, Vice President Clinical Advisory Services
In 2023, four Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Centers on the West Coast led a focused initiative to enhance clinical outcomes, specifically addressing the issue of in-hospital falls. These facilities, dedicated to serving our nation’s veterans, partnered with Get Well to explore how digital health technology could support their efforts in creating safer environments for their patients.
The challenge: inpatient falls
Falls are the most common adverse event reported in hospitals, with 85% of these falls occurring in the patient’s room. Nationwide, approximately 700,000 to 1 million falls happen in U.S. hospitals each year, leading to around 250,000 injuries and up to 11,000 deaths. This data highlights the critical need for effective fall prevention strategies in healthcare, particularly in settings where patients may be at higher risk due to age, medical conditions, or mobility issues.
The four West Coast VA Medical Centers, encompassing a total of 1,135 beds, projected that without further intervention, 281 falls could occur within a year. This equated to a potential financial impact of over $17.57 million, highlighting the need for an actionable strategy to prevent falls and reduce the associated costs.
Recognizing that fall prevention requires more than just awareness, these four VA Medical Centers aimed to implement a comprehensive approach that would engage both patients and healthcare providers in a proactive fall prevention strategy.
The solution: Get Well’s inpatient platform
To address the challenge, the VA Medical Centers partnered with Get Well to leverage its inpatient point of care platform, which provides a structured, patient-centered and data-driven approach to fall prevention.
Key components of the program included:
- Fall prevention as part of veteran orientation – Upon admission, veterans were prompted by the Get Well platform to watch a brief educational video on falls prevention as an essential part of their orientation to the hospital room. Viewing this content was a prerequisite for unlocking other Get Well features, such as entertainment, relaxation content, and games.
- Daily “Call, Don’t Fall” reminders – Throughout their hospital stay, veterans received a daily prompt on their television screens, reminding them to call for assistance if they needed to get up, reinforcing the importance of safety.
- Falls education pathway – A series of evidence-based educational modules was delivered in short, easily digestible segments throughout the hospital stay. These were designed to educate veterans on practical steps they could take to prevent a fall.
- Monitoring and evaluation – The effectiveness of these interventions was continuously monitored by tracking the correlation between veterans’ engagement with the educational content (such as video viewership) and the actual fall rates within the hospital.
Sample “Call, Don’t Fall” daily reminder
This approach placed a strong emphasis on patient engagement, empowering veterans to be active participants in their own safety and helping to foster a culture of prevention throughout their care experience.
The impact: patient safety and $5.82M in cost savings
Over a 12-month period, the four VA Medical Centers collectively saw a significant reduction in in-hospital fall rates, with each facility achieving remarkable results:
- VAMC 1: A 48% decrease in fall rate, avoiding 33 falls and realizing cost savings of $1,437,983
- VAMC 2: A 41% decrease in fall rate, avoiding 35 falls and realizing cost savings of $2,188,235
- VAMC 3: A 30% decrease in fall rate, avoiding 15 falls and realizing cost savings of $937,815
- VAMC 4: A 23% decrease in fall rate, avoiding 20 falls and realizing cost savings of $1,250,420
In total, these four VA Medical Centers prevented 93 falls and saved $5.82 million over the year. These outcomes were the result of a collaborative effort between technology and clinical teams, illustrating how thoughtful implementation of digital tools can make a meaningful difference in patient care.
The critical role of the nursing teams and steering committees
The success of this initiative was driven by the commitment and expertise of the nursing teams at each VA Medical Center. These professionals were instrumental in executing the fall prevention strategies, ensuring that patients were not only informed but also engaged in their own safety.
Equally important was the role of each facility’s Get Well Steering Committee. These committees provided ongoing support by reviewing and updating the fall prevention content on a quarterly basis, incorporating best practices and the latest clinical evidence. Their involvement ensured that the initiative remained dynamic and responsive to the needs of both veterans and staff. As one West Coast VA client noted, “We know that a huge part of this success was due to our Nursing teams’ hard work and commitment to fall prevention. We also appreciate the engagement from our facility’s Get Well Steering Committee for helping review their units’ content on a quarterly basis and update it with best practice interventions.”
A model for success
The experience of these four West Coast VA Medical Centers offers valuable insights for other healthcare organizations aiming to improve patient safety and outcomes. By leveraging digital health technology like Get Well’s point of care platform, hospitals can empower patients with the knowledge they need to take an active role in their care, while also equipping healthcare providers with the tools necessary to deliver more personalized, effective interventions.
This initiative demonstrates the potential of combining technology with clinical expertise to achieve significant improvements in patient care. For these VA Medical Centers, the results are clear: a substantial reduction in fall rates, improved patient safety, and significant cost savings. This collaborative effort serves as a model that can be replicated across the VA system and beyond, ensuring that veterans everywhere receive the highest standard of care.
In an era where healthcare organizations are continuously challenged to enhance patient outcomes while managing costs, the partnership between these VA Medical Centers and Get Well underscores the power of innovation and teamwork. By embracing digital solutions and fostering a culture of safety, we can make meaningful progress toward a future where preventable falls are minimized, and every veteran receives the safe care experience they deserve.
To learn more about Get Well’s veteran patient engagement solutions, including our FedRAMP-authorized Get Well Anywhere-Federal platform – now available to deploy in the AWS GovCloud – visit us here.
