The State of Mobility Assessments - Use and Relationship to Falls Prevention and Patient Lift Equipment

Patients in hospitals who have mobility limitations are typically at greater risk for falling and create a greater injury risk for the healthcare workers who care for them. When healthcare workers have good tools to assess the mobility level of patients, they are better equipped to determine how to mobilize or transfer patients. In fact, the American Nurses Association (ANA) safe patient handling and mobility (SPHM) interprofessional national standards (ANA, 2013) recommends “Integrating a Patient Centered Assessment.” The primary goal of this research was to learn if assessment tools are used in hospitals and how effective they are in promoting lift equipment use and preventing falls.