Abstract
Background
Falls are a common occurrence in older people and frequently lead to hospital admission. There is a current lack of cohesive fall prevention strategies in the Republic of Ireland.
Aim
To demonstrate the cost of fall-related admissions to an acute hospital.
Methods
A review of Hospital Inpatient Enquiry (HIPE) data and medical case notes was performed for all fall-related admissions over a one-year period. The cost of fall-related admissions was calculated. In addition a detailed cost analysis was performed to determine the true cost of a hip fracture admission.
Results
There were 810 fall-related admissions, resulting in 8,300 acute bed days, and 6,220 rehabilitation bed days, costing €10.3 million. Fall-related readmissions resulted in 650 bed-days, bringing the total cost to €10.8 million. A typical hip fracture incident admission episode costs €14,300.
Conclusions
Fall-related admissions of older people are a significant financial burden to the health service.
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Cotter, P.E., Timmons, S., O’Connor, M. et al. The financial implications of falls in older people for an acute hospital. Ir J Med Sci 175, 11–13 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03167941
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03167941