Implementing a quality improvement program to reduce falls and increase patient medication satisfaction in an academic medical center.

BACKGROUND: Hospitalized older adult medication-related falls are common and understudied. LOCAL PROBLEM: There were organizational educational gaps identified in assisting nurses to recognize and mitigate medication associated side effects that may predispose hospitalized older adults to fall. METHODS: A quality improvement project that utilized pre and post-test design. An eLearning module was developed and distributed to registered nurses in a medical unit. INTERVENTIONS: Eighty registered nurses participated in an eLearning module that included patient and family centered evidence-based guidelines and teach-back guides related to medication fall safety. RESULTS: An increase in overall (2.2%) medication patient satisfaction scores and decrease (8%) in falls for patients > 65 years old over a 4-month period. CONCLUSIONS: There is benefit of implementing a structured medication fall risk education program for nurses on a medical unit. Patient satisfaction related to communication about medications and a reduction in falls was impacted by this interdisciplinary intervention.

Parental Concerns of Underserved Young Children at Risk for Autism.

Early identification of children at risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is critical to promote optimal outcomes. However disparities in early recognition of ASD based on race, ethnicity, income, and English proficiency persist. Little is known regarding how parents from these groups describe concerns. The study aim was to understand how parents of children from underserved backgrounds at developmental risk describe concerns about child development and behavior. To address this gap, developmental concerns of 204 parents of children at-risk for ASD from underserved communities were analyzed. In this sample, the number and type of parental concerns differed based on parent primary language but not the presence of ASD or ethnicity. Parents whose primary language was Spanish were less likely to express concerns about their child's development or to express ASD-specific concerns. These findings have implications for how clinicians elicit and interpret developmental concerns from underserved families.

Implementing a geriatric resource nurse model.

The aging of the American population and its effects on healthcare centers require strategies and programs to ensure best practices for older patients. The authors describe an educational program, modification of a Geriatric Resource Nurse Model, and the use of a Geriatric Nurse Practitioner in implementing and integrating the clinical, psychosocial, and financial aspects that influence care needed by elderly patients and their families.