Assignment: Benefits Of Program

Assignment: Benefits Of Program
Assignment: Benefits Of Program
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This report is presented through coordination of multidisciplinary approaches. The team includes unit supervisors, managers, material management, quality improvement team and physicians. The main purpose of this project is to implement the use of Mepilex dressing into the hospital in order to prevent pressure ulcers. This project target to prevent complication and cost associated with hospital acquired pressure ulcer. If the patient has an existing pressure ulcer or occurrence of new users, Mepilex foam dressing will be initiated for skin prevention. According to the research conducted by International Journal of Tissue Repair and Regeneration, Mepilex bland dressing aids in ulcer healing by 67% compared to other brands and reduces pain. Mepilex dressing, is a “multiple layered foam dressing which is designed to absorb wound discharge and protect the wound from infiltration of microorganisms and has its own absorbent properties”(Just Home Medical). It is also very easy to remove without affecting the skin around the wound. This program is proposed to provide a safe environment by developing new practice using evidence based practices. Out of “371 critically ill patients who received customary care with the bordered sacral foam dressing in situ had PU rates of 0–3.1%, compared with 3.8–13.1% for the control groups. A variety of less well-controlled studies involving more than 1000 patients provides supporting data (Berlowitz, D. , 2014, October 02)”.
The Cost or Budget Justification
Hospital acquired pressure ulcer increases the health cost, length of hospital stay and can delay the recovery time.“Pressure ulcers cost $9.1 billion to $11.6 billion per year in the United States. Cost of individual patient care ranges from $20,900 to $151,700 per pressure ulcer. Medicare estimated in 2007 that each pressure ulcer added $43,180 in costs to a hospital stay” (Berlowitz, D. , 2014, October 02). Another cost related to pressure ulcers involves daily dressing change. Mepilex dressing does not have to be changed daily. According to the study conducted at North York General Hospital (NYGH), “at least 48 patients had dressings changed daily. This amounted to 56 hours of nursing time per week or 1.4 full-time nurses per week. Reducing this to three times weekly saves 33 hours of nursing time per week, equal to 0.9 full-time nurses. Only 100 patient wounds treated with non-advanced dressings (gauze) can be treated in the same time as 230 patient wounds with advanced dressings” (Popovich, K., &Tohm, P. (2010, September).
Evaluation of the project:
The principle of quality focuses on improvement of quality and performance. The interdisciplinary team will be responsible for initiating and preventing pressure ulcer project into each unit, making decisions about the design and monitoring progress. A comprehensive skin assessment, standardized pressure ulcer risk assessment, care planning and implementation to address areas of risk should be done every shift and documented per protocol. A data collection survey will be conducted for the effectiveness after the intervention. The survey will include number of pressure ulcer in hospital, clinical indication, clear accountabilities, product availability, staff awareness, education and expectations for performance documentation of actual patient care. The recommendation and patient care impact as well as cost effective of the Mepilex foam dressing will be reevaluated within a year.
Summary
Pressure ulcer has been one of the topics of concern today in the health care industry because it brings serious risk to patients and the quality of their life. The evidence has found that the use of Mepilex dressing along with standard skin assessment, to decrease the cost of health and hospital stay of an individual. After the investigation, discussion and some research done at this hospital about hospital acquired pressure ulcer, the team has concluded to implement new practice of Mepilex use for further prevention of pressure ulcer.