Inpatient Falls

Identifying Attributes

Care Settings
Hospital Care
Country
Scotland
Publishing Organisation
Scottish Patient Safety Programme (SPSP) Acute Adult
Type of Quality Indicator
Outcome
IOM Quality Dimension
Safety
Domain
Falls and Major Injuries

Defining Attributes

Definition

The total number of inpatient falls.

Numerator

The total number of inpatient falls (excluding Out-patients, Day Cases and Emergency Departments*) for month.

Denominator

The total number of acute occupied bed days for the same time period (excluding Outpatients, Day Cases and Emergency Departments*).

Exclusions

Emergency Department (ED) attendances are not classified as inpatient episodes and do not generate occupied bed days. Please exclude falls in the ED from both the numerator and denominator of the inpatient falls measure.

Use of Risk Adjustment
No
Risk Adjustments
Stratifications

Collection and Reporting Attributes

Type of Data Collection
Electronic/paper chart records
Data Collection Methods

Local incident management system

Frequency of Data Collection
Monthly
Frequency of Data Collection in Days
30
Reporting Methods

SPSP Impact Reports

Reporting Frequency
Quarterly
Reporting Frequency in Days
91
Indicator Has Recommended Targets
No

Source and Reference Attributes

Link to Measurement Tools
Quality Indicator Confirmed to be Part of a Program Used to Monitor Quality and Safety of Care Among Older People at a Population-Level between 2012-2022
Yes
Assessed by the Australian Consortium for Aged Care Collaborators as Generally Containing Good Properties (Importance and Scientific Acceptability)
No
Australian Consortium for Aged Care Endorsed
No
Identified by PHARMA-Care Project
No
Upload Date
02 December 2025