BACKGROUND: Several tools for the assessment of the risk of falling are used commonly by clinical nurses, but none have been validated in Portuguese. AIMS: To adapt and evaluate the Hendrich II Fall Risk Model (HIIFRM) for use with elderly Portuguese inpatients. METHOD: We conducted a prospective study of 586 older inpatients in acute care hospitals, from November 2007 to May 2010. RESULTS: The study involved 270 men and 316 women. The most frequent risk factor on admission and at discharge was a score ≥3 on the 'Get Up and Go' test. The adapted HIIFRM showed a sensitivity of 93.2% and 75.7%, and a specificity of 35% and 46.7%, on admission and at discharge, respectively. A positive predictive value of 17.2% on admission and 17% at discharge and a negative predictive value of 97.3% and 93%, respectively, were estimated. CONCLUSIONS: The HIIFRM was shown to be a useful tool in predicting falls by patients. Nevertheless, the research model suggested that only four risk factors affected the occurrence of falls significantly on admission and two risk factors at discharge. Further research is required in Portuguese hospital settings.
BACKGROUND: Several tools for the assessment of the risk of falling are used commonly by clinical nurses, but none have been validated in Portuguese. AIMS: To adapt and evaluate the Hendrich II Fall Risk Model (HIIFRM) for use with elderly Portuguese inpatients. METHOD: We conducted a prospective study of 586 older inpatients in acute care hospitals, from November 2007 to May 2010. RESULTS: The study involved 270 men and 316 women. The most frequent risk factor on admission and at discharge was a score ≥3 on the 'Get Up and Go' test. The adapted HIIFRM showed a sensitivity of 93.2% and 75.7%, and a specificity of 35% and 46.7%, on admission and at discharge, respectively. A positive predictive value of 17.2% on admission and 17% at discharge and a negative predictive value of 97.3% and 93%, respectively, were estimated. CONCLUSIONS: The HIIFRM was shown to be a useful tool in predicting falls by patients. Nevertheless, the research model suggested that only four risk factors affected the occurrence of falls significantly on admission and two risk factors at discharge. Further research is required in Portuguese hospital settings.