AHRQ releases new resource to help nursing homes with pressure ulcers

The Agency for Healthcare Resource and Quality (AHRQ) has released a new resource to help nursing homes address pressure ulcers that are slow to heal. 

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Pressure ulcers are still a serious problem in nursing homes despite best efforts to encourage their prevention and treatment.  In Canada, compromised wounds were reported in almost 10% of continuing long-term care residents.1 Along with pain, disfigurement, and an increased infection risk, pressure ulcers are associated with longer hospital stays and increased morbidity and mortality.

The On-Time Pressure Ulcer Healing was developed to provide nursing homes that have an electronic medical records (EMRs) system with tools to effectively monitor and manage pressure ulcers. 

The resource includes five electronic reports and a menu of suggested implementation strategies for using each report to support clinical decision-making and promote effective collaboration and care coordination among disciplines.2

For more information, visit the AHRQ website at:
https://www.ahrq.gov/professionals/systems/long-term-care/resources/ontime/pruhealing/index.html 

1 Compromised Wounds in Canada: Executive Summary. CIHI. Retrieved February 27, 2017 from https://secure.cihi.ca/free_products/AiB_Compromised_Wounds_EN.pdf

2 AHRQ's Safety Program for Nursing Homes: On-Time Pressure Ulcer Healing. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Retrieved Feb. 27, 2017 from https://www.ahrq.gov/professionals/systems/long-term-care/resources/ontime/pruhealing/index.html