Abstract
BACKGROUND: Hospital-acquired pressure ulcers can extend a patient's length of stay, decrease health-related quality of life, and increase the risk of mortality and cost of patient care.
PROBLEM: Although risk assessment and pressure ulcer prevention efforts had been in place for many years, our facility continued to be more than national averages and we identified a need for extensive education and consistency throughout the organization in order to reduce hospital-acquired pressure ulcer occurrences.
CONCLUSION: The continuous quality improvement initiative implemented by Huntsville Hospital created a clinical culture of pressure ulcer prevention, resulting in improved patient outcomes and cost savings.