Essentials of Evidence Based Practice MAIN POST Introduction It is estimated that patient falls in hospitals occur among 700,000 to 1,000,000 people in the United States. As well, approximately one third is preventable (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality [AHRQ], 2013). Fall risk assessment tools, and alarm systems which alert staff when patients attempt to leave the bed or chair unassisted, are two methods among others utilized to reduce falls incidences. Evidence-based practice (EBP) in accordance with patient falls and the applicability to the author’s organization are the topics of this paper. Patient Care Experience Recently, an 83 year old male with dementia was hospitalized for pneumonia and under my care, on the night shift. As part of the routine admission process, all patients are evaluated for fall risk. In this patient’s case, a fall risk evaluation tool was one EBP method used to predict and prevent such an incident. High risk status was concluded due to mobility issues, dementia, and incontinence, in accordance with the Hendrich Fall Risk Assessment tool in the electronic health record. Research by Hendrich, Bender, and Nyhuis, in 2003, as cited by Schmidt (2012, April 5) found that intrinsic factors such as “confusion, altered elimination needs and impaired gait and mobility” among others were predictors of falls (para 6). A second intervention used was a bed alarm. Evidence based research for this method showed mixed results. Ward-Smith, Barret, Rayson and Govro (2014) concluded that use of a bed alarm system did not prevent falls, with one reason being the frequency of false alarms caused ignorance by staff, over time. The authors also stated further research in evaluating which patients would be appropriate for the alarm use would be beneficial. Shorr, Chandler, Mion, Waters, Liu, Daniels, Kessler and Miller, (2012), cited a cluster randomized trial which supported a reduction in falls with alarms in use. Still, in searching CINAHL, no studies in the past 5 years were found in support of bed alarms as a fall reduction method. I surmise the use of bed alarms in my facility came as a result of the elimination of the previous routine practice of waist and vest restraint application. Background and PICOT Questions Since support of the use of alarm systems was either mixed or nonexistent, and given the previously mentioned in-hospital high incidence of patient fall statistics, more effective measures for reduction must be researched. In formulating an EBP research question, background definitions must be delineated and general knowledge questions answered. For example, in researching best practices for dementia patient fall reduction in acute care hospitals, I would answer the following questions · What constitutes a patient fall? · What is dementia? · What are some common signs and symptoms of dementia? · What factors place dementia patients at risk for falling? · What are the effects of hourly ...