Pressure Injuries

Care for Patients in All Settings

Click below to see a list of brief quality statements and scroll down for more information.

Quality Statements in Brief

Quality standards are sets of concise statements designed to help health care professionals easily and quickly know what care to provide, based on the best evidence.

See below for the quality statements and click for more detail.

Quality Statement 1: Risk and Skin Assessment
People with at least one risk factor for developing a pressure injury undergo a comprehensive risk assessment, including a skin assessment, to determine their level of risk. Those at risk are reassessed on an ongoing basis.

Quality Statement 2: Patient Education and Self-Management
People who have developed or are at risk of developing a pressure injury and their families and caregivers are offered education about pressure injuries, including an overview of the condition; the importance of mobilization and repositioning for pressure redistribution; and who to contact in the event of a concerning change.

Quality Statement 3: Comprehensive Assessment
People with a pressure injury undergo a comprehensive assessment, including an evaluation of risk factors that affect healing to determine the healing potential of the wound.

Quality Statement 4: Individualized Care Plan
People who have developed or are at risk of developing a pressure injury have a mutually agreed-upon individualized care plan that identifies patient-centred concerns and is reviewed and updated regularly.

Quality Statement 5: Support Surfaces
People who have developed or are at risk of developing a pressure injury are provided with appropriate support surfaces based on their assessment.

Quality Statement 6: Repositioning
People who have developed or are at risk of developing a pressure injury receive interventions that enable repositioning at regular intervals, encouraging people to reposition themselves if they are mobile or helping them to do so if they cannot reposition themselves.

Quality Statement 7: Wound Debridement
People with a pressure injury have their wound debrided if it is determined as necessary in their assessment, and if it is not contraindicated. Debridement is carried out by a trained health care professional using an appropriate method.

Quality Statement 8: Local Infection Management
People with a pressure injury and a local infection receive appropriate treatment, including antimicrobial and non-antimicrobial interventions.

Quality Statement 9: Deep/Surrounding Tissue Infection or Systemic Infection Management
People with a pressure injury and suspected deep/surrounding tissue infection or systemic infection receive urgent assessment (within 24 hours of initiation of care) and systemic antimicrobial treatment.

Quality Statement 10: Wound Moisture Management
People with a pressure injury receive wound care that maintains the appropriate moisture balance or moisture reduction in the wound bed.

Quality Statement 11: Surgical Consultation
People who are adherent to treatment and have a stage 3 or 4 healable pressure injury that is not responding to optimal care are referred for a surgical consultation to determine their eligibility for surgical intervention.

Quality Statement 12: Health Care Provider Training and Education
People who have developed or are at risk of developing a pressure injury receive care from health care providers with training and education on the assessment and treatment of pressure injuries.

Quality Statement 13: Transitions in Care
People with a pressure injury who transition between care settings have a team or provider who is accountable for coordination and communication to ensure the effective transfer of information related to their care.

Resources Quality Statements Advisory Committee About

Health Quality Ontario thanks the following individuals for their generous, voluntary contributions of time and expertise to help create this quality standard:

Laura Teague (co-chair)
Nurse Practitioner
Wound Care, St. Michael’s Hospital

Gary Sibbald (co-chair)
Professor
Public Health and Medicine, Dermatology and Internal Medicine, University of Toronto, Trillium Health Partners

Mohamed S. Awan
Lived Experience Advisor

Jacklyn Baljit
Clinical Program Lead
Ontario Association of Community Care Access Centres

Josie Barbita
Director
Professional Practice, Toronto Central Community Care Access Centre

Mariam Botros
Executive Director
Canadian Association of Wound Care

Catherine Butler
Vice President
Clinical Care, Champlain Community Care Access Centre

Elaine Calvert
Director of Quality and Clinical Practice
Thrive Group

Lucy Coppola
Director
Erie St. Clair Community Care Access Centre

Lindsey Cosh
Circle of Care Coordinator
Southern Ontario Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative

Bridget Davidson
Executive Director
Canadian Malnutrition Task Force

Robyn Evans
Director
Wound Healing Clinic, Family Medicine Wound Care, Women’s College Hospital

Catherine Harley
Executive Director
Wound Care (IIWCC), Canadian Association for Enterostomal Therapy

Connie Harris
Clinical Nurse Specialist
Private Practice, Clinical Consultant on Education and Research

Pamela Houghton
Professor
Physical Therapy, University of Western Ontario

Sharon Hunter
Care Manager
Nursing Program, CBI Home Health

Devon Jahnke
Chiropodist and Diabetes Educator
Health Sciences North

David Keast
Medical Director
Chronic Wound Clinic, Parkwood Institute

Kimberly LeBlanc
Nurse
KDS Professional Consulting

James Mahoney
Plastic Surgeon
St. Michael’s Hospital

Colleen McGillivray
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
University Health Network Toronto Rehabilitation Institute

Ann-Marie McLaren
Chiropodist and Foot Specialist
Wound Team, St. Michael’s Hospital

Joshua Moralejo
Nursing Practice Leader
Salvation Army Toronto Grace Health Centre

Linda O’Rourke
Lived Experience Advisor

Deirdre O’Sullivan-Drombolis
Physical Therapist
Riverside Health Care

Norma Skinner
Community Care Coordinator
Thunder Bay Short Stay Wound and Medical Supply
Coordinator
North West Community Care Access Centre

Karen Smith
Associate Professor and Associate Dean
Continuing Professional Development, Queen’s University

Michael Stacey
Vascular Surgeon
Hamilton Health Sciences Centre and McMaster University

Ruth Thompson
Chiropodist
Ottawa Hospital

Evelyn Williams
President
Ontario Long-Term Care Clinicians

Valerie Winberg
Nurse Practitioner
Twin Bridges Nurse Practitioner–Led Clinic

Evidence to Improve Care

Pressure Injuries

Care for Patients in All Settings

Quality Statements in Brief

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