Title : Implementing telesitters to reduce falls and sitter costs
Abstract:
Patient falls and injuries are a major concern for nursing staff and hospitals. Sitters are often used as a method to prevent falls in inpatient hospital settings, but there is a lack of evidence representing that their presence results in safer outcomes. The purpose of this project is to determine if there is a decrease in hospitalized patient falls and sitter costs with the implementation of continuous video monitoring and virtual sitters. A 375-bed hospital in Austell, Georgia initiated a program that introduced continuous video monitoring and telesitters that monitor patients at risk for falls. Fall rates and sitter cost data was gathered from six months prior to telesitter implementation and during the telesitter program from February 2022 through April 2022. The results did not show a decrease in sitter costs within the organization. However, the percentage of fulfilled sitter orders increased, and the percentage of unfulfilled sitter orders decreased. The application of continuous video monitoring with telesitters decreased patient fall rates within the hospital.
