Assessing Vision in Elderly Patients Admitted to Hospital Following a Fall: A Quality Improvement Project

Abstract

Introduction: Falls are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in older people, and those with reduced visual acuity are twice as likely to fall as those with normal eyesight. Accordingly, NICE guidelines recommend assessment of vision as part of a multi-factorial risk assessment in older people, who present for medical attention, because of a fall.

Methods: We included all patients admitted to a senior health ward at St George’s hospital because of a fall. A baseline audit was conducted in May 2020. Our primary intervention was a departmental teaching session with subsequent first cycle data. We trialled the ‘Lookout! Bedside vision check for falls prevention’ recommended by the Royal College of Physicians. Our secondary intervention was designing an ‘initial assessment’ proforma to include a section for sensory impairment followed by a second cycle data collection.

Results: Our initial results showed that none of the 24 patients admitted with a fall had any form of documented visual assessment. Using a simple bedside vision check tool, we found 22% (n=2) of screened patients had significantly impaired vision. Following our teaching session, 50% (n=7) of patients had some form of visual assessment on admission and after introduction of the proforma, this increased to 56% (n=5). Visual risk factors were identified in multiple patients, including outdated prescriptions for corrective glasses.

Discussion: Identifying reversible visual risk factors may reduce recurrent falls and subsequent complications as well as hospital admissions in older patients. A teaching session was found to be effective, however a ‘proforma’ may encourage more sustainable improvements. The reduction in ophthalmology and optometry services during the Covid-19 pandemic will inevitably increase the prevalence of visual risk factors. Effects including delayed eyesight tests and cataract operations. It is therefore more important now than ever, to ensure bedside assessment of vision in older adults presenting to hospital, with a fall and proactively in falls prevention strategies.