Smart socks reduce falls
Patient falls declined when a hospital required patients at high risk for falls to wear smart socks, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Nursing Care Quality. The prospective study provided 569 patients on neurological and neurosurgical units with smart socks ─ socks with pressure sensors detecting when a patient attempts to stand up ─ and no other fall prevention system. Over a 13-month period, investigators observed a decreased fall rate (0 per 1000 patient days) among patients wearing smart socks compared to prior to intervention implementation (4 per 1000 patient days). Nurses responded to the alarms within a median time of 24 seconds. (AHRQ Patient Safety Network article, 9/7/22)