FIPC Research: Low-Low Bed Project - Queensland Stay On Your Feet®
Queensland Health conducted research to evaluate the efficacy of a policy to introduce low-low beds to help prevent falls and fall injuries on hospital wards that had not previously accessed low-low beds. This randomised control study looked at the intervention of providing one low-low bed for every 12 patients on a hospital ward, with written guidance for identifying patients at greatest risk of falls. The study found that providing this number of low-low beds did not reduce falls or falls injury. However, since this study, discussions have occurred around the need to increase the number of low-low beds on each ward to achieve an effect (dose response). As such, further study is warranted.