Short-term effects of an educational intervention on physical restraint use: a cluster randomized trial
2006

Effects of Educational Intervention on Physical Restraint Use in Nursing Homes

Sample size: 167 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Huizing Anna R, Hamers Jan PH, Gulpers Math JM, Berger Martijn PF

Primary Institution: Maastricht University

Hypothesis

An educational intervention will lead to a reduction of restraint prevalence and intensity, to a reduction in multiple restraint use, and to the use of less restrictive restraint types in residents.

Conclusion

An educational programme for nurses did not decrease the use of physical restraints in psycho-geriatric nursing home residents in the short term, but it protected them from an increase in restraint use compared to the control group.

Supporting Evidence

  • Restraint use did not change significantly in the experimental group.
  • The control group experienced a significant increase in restraint use.
  • Residents in the experimental group had a lower risk of restraint use compared to the control group.

Takeaway

The study tried to teach nurses how to use fewer restraints on elderly patients, but it didn't work right away. However, it did help stop more restraints from being used.

Methodology

A cluster randomized trial was conducted with 5 nursing home wards, comparing an educational intervention group to a control group.

Potential Biases

Randomization was limited to five wards, which may increase the risk of type 2 errors.

Limitations

The study had a relatively small sample size and was limited to five nursing home wards, which may affect the generalizability of the results.

Participant Demographics

The study included 167 residents with dementia, primarily elderly, with a mean age of around 82 years.

Statistical Information

P-Value

0.021

Confidence Interval

0.031–0.541

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1471-2318-6-17

Want to read the original?

Access the complete publication on the publisher's website

View Original Publication