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

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.

Background

Transitions in care involve changes in providers or locations (within and between care settings) and can increase the risk of errors and miscommunication related to a person’s care, which may cause further injury and delay healing. To support coordination and continuity of care, transition planning should be collaborative, involving the person with the pressure injury, their family, and their caregiver(s), and incorporating their individual concerns and preferences. To support the transfer of accurate information, all providers must document the most up-to-date information in the individualized care plan. A provider or team should be accountable for ensuring the accurate and timely transfer of information on an ongoing basis to the proper recipients as part of a seamless, coordinated transitions.

What This Quality Statement Means

For Patients

When you change health care settings (for example, you return home after being cared for in a hospital), your health care team or health care professional should work with you to make sure that important information is transferred with you, and that you are connected to the supports you need.

For Clinicians

Ensure that people moving between providers or care settings have a person or team responsible for coordinating their care and transferring information.

For Health Services

Ensure that systems, processes, and resources are in place to enable smooth transitions between care settings for people with a pressure injury.

Quality Indicators

Process Indicators

Percentage of people with a pressure injury who transition between care settings and have a team or provider who is accountable for coordination and communication to ensure the effective transfer of information related to their care

Denominator: number of people with a pressure injury who transition between care settings
Numerator: number of people in the denominator who have a team or provider who is accountable for coordination and communication to ensure the effective transfer of information related to their care
Data source: local data collection

Percentage of people with a pressure injury who transition between care settings and report that their team or provider knew about their medical history

Denominator: number of people with a pressure injury who transition between care settings and answer the question, "During your most recent visit, did this team or provider seem to know about your medical history?"
Numerator: number of people in the denominator who answer "Yes"
Data source: local data collection

Percentage of people with a pressure injury who transition between care settings and report that there was good communication between their team and care providers

Denominator: number of people with a pressure injury who transition between care settings and answer the question, "Do you feel that there was good communication about your care between the team, doctors, nurses, and other staff?"
Numerator: number of people in the denominator who answer "Usually" or "Always"
Data source: local data collection

Definitions Used Within This Quality Statement

Team or provider

This is the provider or team of providers who have an ongoing role in the coordination and delivery of health care services for the person who has developed a pressure injury. Where possible, this should be a primary care provider or primary care team. Alternatively, an individual at the regional level who is responsible for care coordination could fill this role.

Evidence to Improve Care