AHRQ Report Shows Pressure Ulcers in Hospitals on the Rise -- by Suzanne Delbanco, Ph.D.

A new report issued by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) suggests that pressure ulcers among hospitalized patients have become significantly more prevalent over the last fifteen years.  Based on data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), the analysis found that in 2006 there were more than 500,000 hospital stays with pressure ulcers noted as a diagnosis as compared to during about 280,000 in 1993 - an increase of almost 80%.

These numbers include both patients who were admitted to the hospital for treatment of pressure ulcers as well as those who developed them during a hospital stay for treatment of some other condition.

Pressure ulcers - commonly referred to as bed sores - can be very painful for patients and can lead to life threatening infections and added costs.  Any patient with impaired mobility can be at risk as pressure ulcers are typically caused by very long "periods of uninterrupted pressure on the skin, soft tissue, muscle and bone," according to AHRQ.

Severe pressure ulcers are considered serious reportable adverse events, or "never events," by the National Quality Forum, and are on the list of Hospital-Acquired Conditions for which the Medicare program will no longer elevate hospital reimbursement.

There is no national agreement on which is the best protocol for the prevention of pressure ulcers - or which protocol helps keep existing pressure ulcers from becoming more severe.  However, Arrowsight Medical's Hospital Video Auditing methodology can help hospitals track how often clinical staff are changing the position of at-risk patients, which could significantly aid in the refinement of protocols and lead to dramatic improvements.  Arrowsight is eager to partner with hospitals to turnaround the disturbing trends identified in AHRQ's report.

Suzanne Delbanco is President, Health Care Division, Arrowsight, Inc.