Open AccessDevelopment and Implementation of a Hospital‐Acquired Pressure Ulcer Incidence Tracking System and Algorithm
Author(s) -
Zaratkiewicz Sunniva,
Whitney JoAnne D.,
Lowe Jeanne R.,
Taylor Shirley,
O'Donnell Fran,
MintonFoltz Paula
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal for healthcare quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.374
H-Index - 27
eISSN - 1945-1474
pISSN - 1062-2551
DOI - 10.1111/j.1945-1474.2010.00076.x
Subject(s) - medicaid , medicine , reimbursement , incidence (geometry) , medical emergency , center of excellence , multidisciplinary approach , emergency medicine , intensive care medicine , algorithm , health care , computer science , social science , physics , database , sociology , optics , economics , economic growth
Hospital‐acquired pressure ulcers (HAPUs) are a national concern due to patient morbidity, treatment cost, and reimbursement issues. Stages III and IV pressure ulcers (PUs) that occur during hospitalization are among the conditions considered preventable by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Harborview Medical Center (HMC), located in Seattle, WA, is a Level 1 trauma/burn center and safety net hospital serving diverse populations. HMC is committed to providing excellence in care including optimal skin care and PU prevention to people from all walks of life. At HMC a new system for monitoring daily PU incidence, completing monthly multidisciplinary intensive reviews on HAPUs, and application of an algorithm used to determine if HAPUs were avoidable was developed and implemented. This system has assisted HMC in addressing PU tracking, prevention, compliance with regulatory mandates and has improved skin‐related outcomes.