Reducing inpatient falls with a mobility‐first, multidisciplinary intervention at a VA Medical Center

Inpatient falls are a common and preventable source of harm among hospitalized patients. At a Veterans Health Affairs medical center, we implemented a mobility‐first, multidisciplinary intervention using sequential Plan‐Do‐Study‐Act cycles, including redesigned activity orders to “mobilize unless contraindicated,” physical therapist‐led education, and interdisciplinary fall huddles with rapid feedback. Over 18 months, total falls decreased by 34%, from 7.6 to 5.0 per 1000 bed‐days, and injurious falls decreased by 46%, from 2.4 to 1.3 per 1000 bed‐days, with no increase in staff injuries. This low‐cost, scalable intervention suggests that standardizing mobility assessment, communication, and execution may reduce inpatient falls.