The quality of pressure ulcer prediction and prevention in home health care

The purpose of this study was to assess the quality of pressure ulcer prediction and prevention in home health care. Randomly selected Medicare-certified home care agencies in four midwestern states were surveyed. The overall response rate was 44% (n = 128). Approximately half (57.8%) of the responding agencies assessed all patients for pressure ulcer risk upon admission; another 4.7% assessed only chair or bed-bound patients. Clinical nursing judgment was the most commonly (72%) used method for assessing risk; only 21% of the agencies used a validated tool such as the Braden Scale or the Norton Scale to identify those at risk. Approximately one third of the reporting agencies had prediction and/or prevention policies. Only 18.0% of home health care agencies identified recommended interventions in a pressure ulcer prevention protocol. Findings suggest opportunities for improvement in pressure ulcer prediction and prevention practice in home health care.