Evaluation of the effectiveness of educational technology in the prevention of falls in the surgical medical clinic

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a flipchart as an educational technology for patient education on preventing falls in hospitalized patients.Methods: This is a quasi-experimental study, being a pilot study type, with a quantitative approach, carried out in a hospital in the northern region of the State of Ceará, Brazil. Thirty-one patients represented the sample from August to November 2019. For the collection of information, it has been applied a structured instrument that includes two parts: a) Clinical-epidemiological data; b) Fall prevention knowledge test.Results: In the pre-test, there was a median of correct answers of 17 (interquartile range = 8), while in the post-test the median of correct answers was 20 (interquartile range = 6). Significance was observed in the increase in average of theoretical correct answers (p < .000).Conclusions: The flipchart is an effective technology to be used in health education to prevent falls, favoring an increased perception of risks in the hospital environment.