Hospital Acquired Pressure Ulcer Essay

Pressure ulcers are defined as local injuries to the skin and/or underlying tissue that usually occurs over bony prominence as a result of pressure. Hospital-acquired pressure ulcer is a major concern because it can lead to increase morbidity, mortality, increase healthcare cost and impact a patient’s quality of life. CMS classifies hospital-acquired pressure ulcers as “never events” the Leapfrog Group defines never events as "adverse events that are serious, largely preventable, and of concern to both the public and health care providers for the purpose of public accountability." CMS considers stage three and four pressure ulcers preventable conditions affecting over 1 million patients annually and thus CMS has taken a stand on payment to hospitals that have led to these poor patient outcomes. “As part of an effort to …show more content…
Since October 2008, Medicare no longer pays hospitals for ulcer specific care for patients who acquire pressure ulcer during their inpatient stay. Mandatory reporting of hospital-acquired stage three and four pressure ulcers has also been implemented.
Pressure ulcer prevention in acute care hospitals is not a new problem however since the CMS guidelines reflecting nonpayment for hospital acquired pressure ulcers there is heightened focus on tracking and documentation of pressure ulcers. Although many facilities have specific guidelines laid out on best practice measures to prevent hospital acquired pressure ulcers these measures are not followed on a consistent basis. Some measures include staff training: assessment of all patients on admission for pressure ulcer development using the (Braden