HEALTHCARE & ACCREDITATION · ICORP
Pressure injury prevention: connect skin assessment, risk and care planning
Use assessment information to guide care, and revisit the plan when the patient changes.
Assessment must lead to care
AHRQ links prevention to comprehensive skin assessment, systematic risk assessment, and care planning with implementation directed at the identified risks. [1] A score in a record is therefore only part of the process; it needs a practical response.
Support clinical judgment
NICE recommends validated tools to support clinical judgment and reassessment when the condition changes, such as after surgery or altered mobility. [2] AHRQ cautions that a no-risk score does not guarantee that a pressure injury will not develop, particularly as the patient changes. [1]
An ICORP implementation proposal
Agree how nursing, medical, nutrition and other relevant teams translate findings into individual care plans. Check that the needed equipment and assistance are available. Include risk information in shift and unit transfers. Clinical leaders should determine suitable repositioning, support surfaces and skin care for the individual patient.
Monitor the response
Possible review points include reassessment after relevant changes, whether plans address identified factors, and barriers to delivery. Analyze injury data using consistent hospital definitions and classification. These are local improvement suggestions. This article sets no universal repositioning interval and does not replace professional assessment with a tool score.
For learning and quality improvement. This article synthesizes the references below. Practical suggestions are editorial proposals to adapt to local policies and context. It is not an official interpretation of JCI/HA requirements or guidance for treating an individual patient.
References
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