CONNECT for Quality: A Study to Reduce Falls in Nursing Homes

"Falls uses the Falls Management Program (AHRQ); it is familiar to nursing homes, uses minimal researcher time, is adaptable, and simulates real word quality improvement practices. Falls is delivered over 3 months. Components include:~1. In-House Falls Coordinator training on content and falls processes.~2. Case-based modules about fall prevention and tailored for various team members.~3. Academic Detailing in which researcher consults with staff regarding challenging residents with falls.~4. Audit and Feedback. Discussions about comparison of nursing home's current practice on fall-related process and outcome measures, and how it compares with the median and the 90th percentile of peer NHs.~5. Toolbox: Handbook of useful measures and worksheets."

"Connect, delivered over 12 weeks, helps nursing home staff learn interactions that increase exchange of new information, number and quality of connections among staff, and improve problem-solving about patient care. Protocols:~1. In-class learning sessions introduce interaction strategies.~2. Relationship map protocols assist staff to examine existing interaction patterns and agree on goals for improvement. Individuals develop their own relationship maps and use them to practice new horizontal and vertical connections and self-monitoring their own interactions.~3. Researcher facilitates authentic learning which occurs when learners directly and independently apply concepts. In-house staff volunteers and are facilitated to assume a mentoring role."