Action 5.23 states
The health service organisation providing services to patients at risk of pressure injuries ensures that:
- Patients, carers and families are provided with information about preventing pressure injuries
- Equipment, devices and products are used in line with best-practice guidelines to prevent and effectively manage pressure injuries
Intent
Patients with or at risk of pressure injuries are provided with information and are involved in their pressure injury care, and devices and equipment that minimise the risk of harm are used.
Reflective questions
What processes are in place to ensure that equipment, devices and products are being used in line with best-practice guidelines to prevent and effectively manage pressure injuries?
What information and support are provided to patients about the prevention and management of pressure injuries?
Key tasks
-
Provide information for patients and carers about the prevention and management of pressure injuries.
-
Facilitate access to equipment and devices for the prevention and management of pressure injuries.
Strategies for improvement
Hospitals
Provide patient information
Patients, carers and families can help clinicians to prevent and manage pressure injuries. Provide patients, carers and families with information that will assist them to understand and take part in the development of effective and appropriate strategies, including information on:
- Risk factors, preventing pressure injuries and self-care
- How to gain access to credible electronic knowledge sites
- How to change the environment to reduce risk
- How to gain access to ongoing care.
Strategies to distribute information may include:
- Providing brochures, fact sheets, posters, and other printed and online material
- Providing opportunities for patients to discuss pressure injuries with clinicians on presentation for care and during care
- Broadcasting prevention and management messages about pressure injuries on patient television and audio services.
Arrange access to products, equipment and devices
Access to products, equipment and devices can prevent pressure injuries or reduce harm when injuries have already been sustained.
To enable access to products, equipment and devices, consider:
- Evaluating products, equipment and device requirements, usage and effectiveness
- Determining the type and number of support devices the organisation may require and options for access to the equipment
- Scheduling routine maintenance and coordinating repairs to maximise the availability of equipment
- Developing guidelines on how to gain access to required equipment (for example, rental options).
Day Procedure Services
This action is not applicable for day procedure services that can demonstrate that they have had no pressure injury incidents in the past 12 months.
For other services, patients or carers should be provided with practical information about the factors that contribute to pressure injuries and how pressure injuries can be prevented.
Where day procedure services routinely provide care to patients who are at risk of developing a pressure injury, devices and strategies to prevent pressure injuries may be required.
Examples of actions that can be considered to facilitate access to equipment and devices include:
- Evaluating requirements for, use of, and effectiveness of, equipment and devices
- Developing guidelines on how to obtain required equipment (for example, rental options).
Refer to the hospitals tab for more detailed implementation strategies for this action.
Examples of evidence
Select only examples currently in use:
- Register of equipment and devices
- Guidelines for use of, and access to, equipment to prevent pressure injuries
- Register of workforce training in the use and allocation of equipment and devices to manage pressure injuries
- Reports of equipment use
- Clinical audit of equipment use
- Register of equipment maintenance and safety checks
- Inventories of equipment, or guidelines on how to obtain required equipment (for example, rental options)
- Committee and meeting records about the use of equipment and devices, and evaluation of the efficacy of products, equipment and devices
- Patient and carer information packages or resources about preventing pressure injuries
- Results of patient and carer experience surveys, and organisational responses, in relation to information provided about preventing and managing pressure injuries.
MPS & Small Hospitals
Provide patient information
Patients, carers and families can help clinicians to prevent and manage pressure injuries. Provide patients, carers and families with information that will help them to understand and take part in the development of effective and appropriate strategies, including information on:
- Risk factors, preventing pressure injuries and self-care
- How to gain access to credible electronic knowledge sites
- How to change the environment to reduce risk
- How to gain access to ongoing care.
Strategies to distribute information may include:
- Providing brochures, fact sheets, posters, and other printed and online material
- Providing opportunities for patients to discuss pressure injuries with clinicians on presentation for care and during care
- Broadcasting prevention and management messages about pressure injuries on patient television and audio services.
Arrange access to products, equipment and devices
Access to products, equipment and devices can prevent pressure injuries or reduce harm when injuries have already been sustained.
To enable access to equipment and devices, consider:
- Evaluating products, equipment and device requirements, use and effectiveness
- Determining the type and number of support devices the organisation may need and options for access to the equipment
- Scheduling routine maintenance and coordinating repairs to maximise the availability of equipment
- Developing guidelines on how to gain access to required equipment (for example, rental options).
Hospitals
Provide patient information
Patients, carers and families can help clinicians to prevent and manage pressure injuries. Provide patients, carers and families with information that will assist them to understand and take part in the development of effective and appropriate strategies, including information on:
- Risk factors, preventing pressure injuries and self-care
- How to gain access to credible electronic knowledge sites
- How to change the environment to reduce risk
- How to gain access to ongoing care.
Strategies to distribute information may include:
- Providing brochures, fact sheets, posters, and other printed and online material
- Providing opportunities for patients to discuss pressure injuries with clinicians on presentation for care and during care
- Broadcasting prevention and management messages about pressure injuries on patient television and audio services.
Arrange access to products, equipment and devices
Access to products, equipment and devices can prevent pressure injuries or reduce harm when injuries have already been sustained.
To enable access to products, equipment and devices, consider:
- Evaluating products, equipment and device requirements, usage and effectiveness
- Determining the type and number of support devices the organisation may require and options for access to the equipment
- Scheduling routine maintenance and coordinating repairs to maximise the availability of equipment
- Developing guidelines on how to gain access to required equipment (for example, rental options).
Day Procedure Services
This action is not applicable for day procedure services that can demonstrate that they have had no pressure injury incidents in the past 12 months.
For other services, patients or carers should be provided with practical information about the factors that contribute to pressure injuries and how pressure injuries can be prevented.
Where day procedure services routinely provide care to patients who are at risk of developing a pressure injury, devices and strategies to prevent pressure injuries may be required.
Examples of actions that can be considered to facilitate access to equipment and devices include:
- Evaluating requirements for, use of, and effectiveness of, equipment and devices
- Developing guidelines on how to obtain required equipment (for example, rental options).
Refer to the hospitals tab for more detailed implementation strategies for this action.
Examples of evidence
Select only examples currently in use:
- Register of equipment and devices
- Guidelines for use of, and access to, equipment to prevent pressure injuries
- Register of workforce training in the use and allocation of equipment and devices to manage pressure injuries
- Reports of equipment use
- Clinical audit of equipment use
- Register of equipment maintenance and safety checks
- Inventories of equipment, or guidelines on how to obtain required equipment (for example, rental options)
- Committee and meeting records about the use of equipment and devices, and evaluation of the efficacy of products, equipment and devices
- Patient and carer information packages or resources about preventing pressure injuries
- Results of patient and carer experience surveys, and organisational responses, in relation to information provided about preventing and managing pressure injuries.
MPS & Small Hospitals
Provide patient information
Patients, carers and families can help clinicians to prevent and manage pressure injuries. Provide patients, carers and families with information that will help them to understand and take part in the development of effective and appropriate strategies, including information on:
- Risk factors, preventing pressure injuries and self-care
- How to gain access to credible electronic knowledge sites
- How to change the environment to reduce risk
- How to gain access to ongoing care.
Strategies to distribute information may include:
- Providing brochures, fact sheets, posters, and other printed and online material
- Providing opportunities for patients to discuss pressure injuries with clinicians on presentation for care and during care
- Broadcasting prevention and management messages about pressure injuries on patient television and audio services.
Arrange access to products, equipment and devices
Access to products, equipment and devices can prevent pressure injuries or reduce harm when injuries have already been sustained.
To enable access to equipment and devices, consider:
- Evaluating products, equipment and device requirements, use and effectiveness
- Determining the type and number of support devices the organisation may need and options for access to the equipment
- Scheduling routine maintenance and coordinating repairs to maximise the availability of equipment
- Developing guidelines on how to gain access to required equipment (for example, rental options).