Reducing pressure ulcers in hip fracture patients

Abstract

This article describes how a collaborative project within an NHS hospital reduced the incidence of pressure ulcers in hip fracture patients by 79.8%, thus improving outcomes of care and patient experience. The impetus for the project came from the negative effects on functional recovery that pressure ulcers can cause, a prevalence of 9.3% in the existing patient group, and the trust's commitment to reduce pressure ulcers for all patients by 50%, as per local quality indicators. Using a multiprofessional collaborative team approach, issues with current practice and how improvements could be made were identified. Following this, a best practice guideline and educational session based on national guidelines, but tailored to the local and holistic needs of hip fracture patients, was developed. The author proposes that the tailoring of an intervention to the specific needs of high risk patient groups is transferable to any area of practice where pressure ulcers are prevalent.