Tissue Viability Care Management
Pressure sores are a critical issue facing patient care in hospitals, despite increased awareness and clinical guidance, around 10% of patients will develop a pressure ulcer whilst in hospital. Moreover, the risk rises to 70% for elderly patients with limited mobility. The cost of treating such sores is not just time-consuming, but also a financial burden, costing the NHS up to £2 billion per year, almost 4% of the total NHS expenditure.
The prevalence of pressure sores can be easily reduced by careful risk assessment on arrival, targeted care plans and allocation of resources to eliminate the risk of pressure sores developing. The Nursing Times released a report based on research in England and Wales in April 2009, showing that developing pressure sores is easily avoidable if the risk is assessed promptly and an effective plan of care implemented.
Guidelines issued by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence in 2005 suggest that a patient should be assessed within 6 hours of initial admission to diminish the likelihood of developing pressure sores. Once risk assessed, a holistic care plan should be developed and implemented for each patient. There is a significant lack of these guidelines being implemented in hospitals, with less than 10% recording actions taken to reduce pressure sores in routine audits.
The Tissue Viability Care Management application developed by Tortrix allows healthcare professionals to identify at risk patients and produce targeted care plans. By integrating guidance into a recording and reporting solution we are able to enrich the level of care offered to patients. Studies have shown that computer-based records and assessment is more reliable and ensures complete records of treatment are stored, therefore improving quality of care*.
The interface provides a simple solution and individual care plan for each patient following a series of questions to assess the risk of developing a pressure sore. This is a cost effective and time-saving system allowing healthcare professionals to provide the best in patient care.
The application is currently under development and is due to be launched and ready for use in the second quarter of 2011. The software will be sold as a licence per application and an associated support contract. The solution can be integrated into the existing infrastructure of NHS Trusts, and customised as a bespoke development to provide efficient and effective healthcare delivery.
*International Guidelines on Pressure Ulcer Prevention published by Medical Education Partnership Ltd. (London, 2009).