Evidence-Based Practice Project Proposal: Evaluation Plan
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Evidence-Based Practice Project Proposal: Evaluation Plan
Falls remain to be the leading cause of injury that would otherwise be prevented. Patients hospitalized in the medical-surgical unit are at high risk for falls, which can lead to serious injuries like subdural hematomas, hip fractures, or even result in death. Falls among hospitalized patients are also associated with prolonged hospital stay and increased cost of healthcare (Dykes et al., 2020). However, through evidence-based practice, several multifactorial strategies have been proven to be effective in reducing the incidences of falls among hospitalized patients. As such, this discussion focuses on creating an evaluation plan for my project in implementing the use of the Fall TIPS (Tailoring Interventions for Patient Safety) toolkit to reduce the incidences of falls in the medical-surgical unit.
Expected Outcome
The primary outcome measure for this project will be the overall rate of falls in the medical-surgical unit of the targeted hospital. The other outcome measure will be the overall rate of patient falls with injury in the same unit (Spano-Szekely et al., 2019). The collected data on falls and falls with injury recorded routinely in an event reporting system of the targeted hospitals will be analyzed. It is however expected that upon implementation of the Fall TIPS toolkit, the rates of falls and falls with injury in this unit are expected to reduce significantly.
Data Collection Tools
To come up with valid and reliable results, a quantitative study design will be utilized to collect relevant information necessary to support the study hypothesis. As such, the most appropriate data collection tool that suits this study design is the use of questionnaires. This method uses numeric measures to make conclusions which is more accurate compared to qualitative observation, which cannot be quantified (Shaw et al., 2021). Given that the researcher can ask consistent questions, questionnaires are considered more reliable and applicable. The authenticity of this method will be determined by testing for its reliability and validity by using the test-retest reliability and establishing face validity.
Statistical Test
To test for the statistical significance of this project, the t-test method will be utilized given that it is applicable even when there are only a few participants. The t-test will enable the managers of the project to gather adequate information on how the study groups’ means vary from one another (Titler & Medvec, 2018). The statistician will be able to use the results obtained from the t-test to determine the correlation between the Fall TIPS toolkit and reduced incidences of falls in the medical-surgical unit, hence being able to draw a statistically significant conclusion.
Data Collection Methods
As mentioned earlier, this project will utilize questionnaires to promote the data collection process. Self-explanatory open-ended questions will be constructed to assess the patient-specific risk factors and appropriate fall interventions to be implemented. Patients will be required to fill out the questionnaires every week on their experience with the use of the Fall TIPS toolkit (Duckworth et al., 2019). The results will then be tabulated by the researchers in an excel spreadsheet. For all the study groups, similar questions will be used, as the participants will be blinded regarding which group they were assigned to. This will help promote consistent and valid results in determining the effectiveness of the EBP in reducing rates of falls among hospitalized patients.
Proposed Strategies for Negative or Non-Expected Results
With the implementation of the Fall TIPS toolkit, the rates of falls in the medical-surgical unit are expected to reduce. However, in case of a negative outcome, it will be necessary to first identify the root cause of the problem (Couch, 2019). This will be done by evaluating the entire implementation process and outlining the strengths and weaknesses of the project. Once the gaps within the implementation process have been identified, it will be necessary to come up with appropriate mitigating strategies to promote a positive outcome. The entire project team will have to exhibit critical thinking to promote shared decision-making in making sure that the problem has been identified and solved completely.
Plans to Maintain, Extend, Revise or Discontinue Proposed Solution
Once the appropriate implementation of the evidence-based practice intervention, the rates of falls among hospitalized patients in the medical-surgical unit are expected to reduce significantly. As a result, it is imperative to adequately educate nurses and patients on how to use the Fall TIPS toolkit to promote a positive outcome (Tucker et al., 2019). Those who are directly involved with the new intervention such as nurses, patients, and their families will be required to provide feedback every week regarding the impact of the EBP. In case of any complaints, necessary revision strategies will be put in place, to promote optimal results. However, if the new intervention fails to surpass previously adopted interventions in improving patient safety and reducing falls, then the project will have to be discontinued for further research to be conducted in identifying a better intervention.
Conclusion
Evidence-based practice has helped revolutionize current healthcare practice in improving patient safety and promoting their quality of life. As a result, this project focuses on the use of the Falls TIPS toolkit to reduce the rates of falls in the medical-surgical unit. However, upon implementation of the evidence-based practice, it is crucial to evaluate the outcome and process to identify areas of strengths and weaknesses and make the necessary changes for optimum benefits.
References
Couch, G. G. (2019). Fall Prevention Efforts in Hospitals. Online Journal of Complementary & Alternative Medicine, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.33552/ojcam.2019.02.000530
Duckworth, M., Adelman, J., Belategui, K., Feliciano, Z., Jackson, E., Khasnabish, S., Lehman, I-Fong. S., Lindros, M. E., Mortimer, H., Ryan, K., Scanlan, M., Berger Spivack, L., Yu, S. P., Bates, D. W., & Dykes, P. C. (2019). Assessing the Effectiveness of Engaging Patients and Their Families in the Three-Step Fall Prevention Process Across Modalities of an Evidence-Based Fall Prevention Toolkit: An Implementation Science Study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 21(1), e10008. https://doi.org/10.2196/10008
Dykes, P. C., Burns, Z., Adelman, J., Benneyan, J., Bogaisky, M., Carter, E., Ergai, A., Lindros, M. E., Lipsitz, S. R., Scanlan, M., Shaykevich, S., & Bates, D. W. (2020). Evaluation of a Patient-Centered Fall-Prevention Tool Kit to Reduce Falls and Injuries. JAMA Network Open, 3(11), e2025889.
Shaw, L., Kiegaldie, D., & Morris, M. E. (2021). Educating health professionals to implement evidence-based falls screening in hospitals. Nurse education today, 101, 104874.
Spano-Szekely, L., Winkler, A., Waters, C., Dealmeida, S., Brandt, K., Williamson, M., … & Wright, F. (2019). Individualized fall prevention program in an acute care setting: an evidence-based practice improvement. Journal of nursing care quality, 34(2), 127-132. DOI: 10.1097/NCQ.0000000000000344
Titler, M. G., & Medvec, B. R. (2018). Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practice. Evidence-Based Practice for Nursing and Healthcare Quality Improvement, 231. eBook ISBN: 9780323480000
Tucker, S., Sheikholeslami, D., Farrington, M., Picone, D., Johnson, J., Matthews, G., … & Cullen, L. (2019). Patient, nurse, and organizational factors that influence evidence‐based fall prevention for hospitalized oncology patients: An exploratory study. Worldviews on Evidence‐Based Nursing, 16(2), 111-120.
