METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ASSESSING FALL RISK

• US 20080009686A1
• Filed: 09/06/2007
• Published: 01/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AHI of Indiana Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AHI of Indiana Incorporated
• Inventors: Hendrich, Loretta
• Granted Patent: US 7,682,308 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/00 Measuring for diagnostic purposes radiation diagnosis A61B6/00; diagnosis by ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves A61B8/00; Identification of persons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1117 Fall detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4023 Evaluating sense of balance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/412 Detecting or monitoring sepsis
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/00 ICT specially adapted for therapies or health-improving plans, e.g. for handling prescriptions, for steering therapy or for monitoring patient compliance
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/92 Computer assisted medical diagnostics

Abstract

A method and system for determining the fall risk of a patient is provided. The method includes the evaluation of a patient to determine whether the patient exhibits one or more intrinsic fall risk factors selected from a group consisting of confusion, depression, altered elimination, dizziness, male gender, antiepileptic/anticonvulsant prescriptions and benzodiazepine prescriptions. A specific point value is assigned to each of the intrinsic risk factors found to be exhibited by the patient. A mobility test is also performed on the patient to evaluate the patient'"'"'s ability to rise from a seated position, and a specific mobility test point value is assigned to the patient based upon the patient'"'"'s performance of the mobility test. Each intrinsic risk factor'"'"'s specific point value is then summed together with the specific mobility test point value to achieve a total risk score, and the patient'"'"'s fall risk is determined based on the total risk score. An intervention process may be developed for the patient based on the patient'"'"'s fall risk.

Claims

1. A system for determining a fall risk of a patient for use by a caregiver, the system comprising:

a risk model tool associated with a computer system, the risk model tool being used to determine if the patient is at risk of falling by exhibiting one or more intrinsic fall risk factors selected from the group of confusion, depression, altered elimination, dizziness, male gender, antiepileptic/anticonvulsant prescriptions and benzodiazepine prescriptions;

a mobility testing tool associated with the computer system, the mobility testing tool being used to determine if the patient is at risk of falling based on the patient'"'"'s ability to rise from a seated position;

an input device configured to enable a user to input into the computer system a weighted point value for each intrinsic fall risk factor exhibited by the patient as determined by the risk model tool and a mobility test weighted point value as determined by the patient'"'"'s performance of the mobility testing tool; and

an electronic database coupled to the computer system to store a patient'"'"'s total fall risk score, the total fall risk score being determined by summing together each weighted point value inputted into the computer system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the weighted point values are each selected from a predefined point value range.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a user interface coupled to the computer system, the user interface being configured to allow the user to input each weighted point value into the computer system.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising a second user interface, the second user interface being coupled to the computer system and accessible through a network.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the input device is selected from at least one of a mouse, a keyboard, an electronic display screen, an electronic stylus and a voice recognition program.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for comparing total fall risk scores contained within the electronic database to determine fall risk trends.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for generating a message to a remote computing station when a patient'"'"'s total fall risk score is categorized as high.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the patient'"'"'s total fall risk score is categorized as high if the patient'"'"'s total fall risk score is greater than or equal to five (5).

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for communicating the patient'"'"'s total fall risk score to a caregiver.

10. A system for determining a fall risk of a patient for use by a caregiver, the system comprising:

means for associating a risk model tool with a computer system, the risk model tool including a means for inputting into the computer system a weighted point value for each intrinsic fall risk factor exhibited by the patient, the intrinsic fall risk factors being selected from the group of confusion, depression, altered elimination, dizziness, male gender, antiepileptic/anticonvulsant prescriptions and benzodiazepine prescriptions, wherein at least one first intrinsic fall risk factor is assigned a highest weighted point value, at least one second intrinsic fall risk factor is assigned a lowest weighted point value, and the remaining intrinsic fall risk factors are each assigned a weighted point value in between the highest and lowest weighted point values;

means for inputting into the computer system a patient'"'"'s mobility test weighted point value, the mobility test weighted point value being based upon a patient'"'"'s performance of a mobility testing tool;

means for summing the intrinsic fall risk factor weighted point values with the mobility test weighted point value to achieve a total fall risk score; and

means for storing the total fall risk score in an electronic database of the computer system, wherein

the point value for confusion is the highest weighted point value;

the point value for depression is in between the highest weighted point value and the lowest weighted point value;

the point value for altered elimination is the lowest weighted point value;

the point value for dizziness is the lowest weighted point value;

the point value for the male gender is the lowest weighted point value;

the point value for an antiepileptic/anticonvulsant prescription is in between the highest weighted point value and the lowest weighted point value;

the point value for a benzodiazepine prescription is the lowest weighted point value; and

the mobility test weighted point value is the highest weighted point value.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising means for comparing total fall risk scores contained within the electronic database to detennine fall risk trends.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising means for generating a message to a remote computing station when a patient'"'"'s total fall risk score is categorized as high.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the patient'"'"'s total fall risk score is categorized as high if the patient'"'"'s total fall risk score is greater than or equal to five (5).

14. The system of claim 10, further comprising means for communicating the patient'"'"'s total fall risk score to a caregiver.

15. A system for providing an intervention process for a patient based on a fall risk score for use by a caregiver, the system comprising:

means for associating a risk model tool with a computer system, the risk model tool including a means for inputting into the computer system a weighted point value for each intrinsic fall risk factor exhibited by the patient, the intrinsic fall risk factors being selected from the group of confusion, depression, altered elimination, dizziness, male gender, antiepileptic/anticonvulsant prescriptions and benzodiazepine prescriptions, wherein at least one first intrinsic fall risk factor is assigned a highest weighted point value, at least one second intrinsic fall risk factor is assigned a lowest weighted point value, and the remaining intrinsic fall risk factors are each assigned a weighted point value in between the highest and lowest weighted point values;

means for summing together the intrinsic fall risk factor weighted point values;

means for inputting into the computer system a patient'"'"'s mobility test weighted point value only if the sum of the intrinsic fall risk factor weighted point values is less than a predetermined threshold value, the mobility test weighted point value being based upon a patient'"'"'s performance of a mobility testing tool;

means for summing together all of the inputted weighted point values to achieve a total fall risk score;

means for storing the total fall risk score in an electronic database of the computer system;

means for creating an intervention process to perform on the patient based on the patient'"'"'s fall risk and the intrinsic fall risk factors exhibited by the patient; and

means for communicating the fall risk and the intervention process to the caregiver.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the intervention process comprises defined treatments relating to patient assessments, safe environments, elimination needs, patient monitoring, education and team management.

17. A system for determining a fall risk of a patient for use by a caregiver, the system comprising:

means for associating a risk model tool with a computer system, the risk model tool including a means for inputting into the computer system a weighted point value for each intrinsic fall risk factor exhibited by the patient, the intrinsic fall risk factors being selected from the group of confusion, depression, altered elimination, dizziness, male gender, antiepileptic/anticonvulsant prescriptions and benzodiazepine prescriptions;

means for assigning a highest weighted point value if the patient exhibits the confusion risk factor;

means for assigning a first lower weighted point value lower than the highest weighted point value if the patient exhibits the depression risk factor;

means for assigning a first lowest weighted point value lower than the first lower weighted point value if the patient exhibits the altered elimination risk factor;

means for assigning a second lowest weighted point value lower than the first lower weighted point value if the patient exhibits the dizziness risk factor;

means for assigning a third lowest weighted point value lower than the first lower weighted point value if the patient exhibits the male gender factor;

means for assigning a second lower weighted point value lower than the highest weighted point value if the patient exhibits the antiepileptic/anticonvulsant prescription risk factor;

means for assigning a fourth lowest weighted point value lower than the first lower weighted point value if the patient exhibits the benzodiazepine prescription risk factor;

means for summing all of the intrinsic fall risk factor weighted point values to determine a fall risk score;

means for determining that a patient'"'"'s fall risk is high if the fall risk score is greater than a predetermined threshold value;

means for inputting into the computer system a patient'"'"'s mobility test weighted point value only if the sum of the intrinsic fall risk factor weighted point values is less than a predetermined threshold value, the mobility test weighted point value being based upon a patient'"'"'s performance of a mobility testing tool;

means for summing all of the point values together to achieve a total fall risk score;

means for storing the total fall risk score in an electronic database of the computer system; and

means for communicating the patient'"'"'s fall risk as being high to a caregiver if the total fall risk score is greater than the predetermined threshold value.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising means for comparing total fall risk scores contained within the electronic database to determine fall risk trends.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising means for generating a message to a remote computing station when a patient'"'"'s total fall risk score is categorized as high.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the patient'"'"'s total fall risk score is categorized as high if the patient'"'"'s total fall risk score is greater than or equal to five (5).