Selection and Use of Pressure Ulcer Risk-Assessment Tools and Treatment Protocols in Extended-Care Facilities in the Southwest

Abstract

In Brief Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate pressure ulcer treatment protocol selection and use by care providers in extended health care facilities. Design Descriptive survey. Setting and Subjects The target population was directors of extended health care facilities in the southwestern border region of Arizona, New Mexico, and west Texas. Methods Questionnaires were mailed to 427 directors of extended-care facilities, who were asked to self-report treatment selection methods. The results from 96 returned and usable questionnaires were analyzed. Main Outcome Measures Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the returned data. Results Most (56.25%) of the respondents reported using a facility-developed assessment tool, 15.63% used no assessment tool at all, and less than 50% of the responding institutions reported using established protocols for pressure ulcer treatment. Although selection methods differed, most (61.46%) pressure ulcer treatments were reported to be determined by collaboration among nurses, physicians, and other health care providers. Conclusion Selection and use of pressure ulcer risk-assessment tools and treatment protocols showed a wide range of variation by extended-care facilities. A high percentage of institutions did not report the use of established, research-based protocols for pressure ulcer treatment, although interdisciplinary collaboration for treatment selection was reported. An investigation of the reported use of pressure ulcer prevention guidelines among a group of long-term care facilities in the American southwest.