Dive Brief:
- Hospitals that have higher-than-average rates of pressure ulcers are mounting campaigns to reduce the incidence of such ulcers.
- For example, at 506-bed Crouse Hospital of Syracuse, N.Y., efforts have shifted from merely documenting pressure ulcers to rolling out initiatives -- such as early detection and use of special beds -- to prevent full-blown ulcers from emerging.
- At Adventist Sonora (Calif.) Regional Medical Center, which has 72 acute care beds, they begin a comprehensive regimen to lower pressure ulcer rates, including turning schedules and using moisture barriers for vulnerable parts of patients' skin.
Dive Insight:
With pressure ulcers now part of quality measurement programs under the ACA, the heat is on hospitals to reduce their rate of occurrence. Hospitals that can't tame their pressure ulcer rates face Medicare penalties as of Oct.1, 2014. But even without the quality requirements under Medicare, it's good to see hospitals developing programs to fight these ulcers; after all, nobody wants to see patients suffer with a preventable condition.