Use of toilet alarms in inpatient settings.

Abstract

To investigate the use of toilet alarms among patients at an increased risk for falls in inpatient settings while allowing for privacy and maintaining safety. Pre- and postsurvey data were collected among patients in the intervention and control groups, as well as among the healthcare staff, to determine perceptions of privacy and safety. Each participant group was compared according to the participants' responses to the pre- and postsurveys. On average, the intervention group perceived increased levels of privacy and safety compared with the control group. Staff also indicated increased privacy and safety. Additional research is necessary, but patient satisfaction, privacy, and dignity may be augmented by using toilet alarms in hospital settings.