A program designed at the University of Pennsylvania Health System led to a decrease in hospital-acquired pressure ulcers, according to research published in the Journal of Nursing Care Quality.
According to a presentation by Penn Medicine leaders, researchers at the healthcare organization created a framework based on clinical evidence and best practices, eventually leading to a new evidence-based prevention bundle, SKINCARE:
• Support surface
• Keep repositioning
• Incontinence care
• Nutrition and hydration
• Careful lifting (ceiling lifts)
• Assess risk and skin daily
• Reduce HOB to less than or equal to 30 degrees
• Elevate heels
This prevention bundle, in addition to improved documentation, staff education and other measures, helped reduce the incidence of pressure ulcers across the entire health system by 37 percent.
According to a presentation by Penn Medicine leaders, researchers at the healthcare organization created a framework based on clinical evidence and best practices, eventually leading to a new evidence-based prevention bundle, SKINCARE:
• Support surface
• Keep repositioning
• Incontinence care
• Nutrition and hydration
• Careful lifting (ceiling lifts)
• Assess risk and skin daily
• Reduce HOB to less than or equal to 30 degrees
• Elevate heels
This prevention bundle, in addition to improved documentation, staff education and other measures, helped reduce the incidence of pressure ulcers across the entire health system by 37 percent.
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