In September 2016 a large multi-site evaluation on the implementation of hybrid support surfaces established “real world” evidence of their impact on pressure ulcer (PU) prevention, revealing a 56% reduction in PU occurrence across 4,230 mattresses leading to significant cost savings.1
A recent study2 published by Professor Michael Clark in the International Wounds Journal looked to evaluate whether the statistical method used within that keystone paper, known as Statistical Process Control (SPC), offered greater insights into pressure ulcer prevention than measures collected before and after the implementation of quality improvement processes.
This systematic review examined publications which had used SPC to evaluate the effect that quality improvement programmes had on pressure ulcer occurrence, ultimately looking to determine whether SPC was an effective statistical tool in concluding causal effect.
The paper concluded that the “use of SPC methods might provide more robust conclusions than can be drawn from single-point estimates of incidence made at arbitrary time points.”
The conclusion of this paper reinforces the results published in the 2016 article which concluded that the Intelligent solution effectively represents a step change in care delivery with significant, measurable benefits across a number of key healthcare quality indicators.
To view the papers click on the references below:
- Fletcher J, Tite M, Clark M. Real-World Evidence from a Large-Scale Multisite Evaluation of a Hybrid Mattress. Wounds UK. 2016 (12:3); 54-61.
- Clark M, Young T, Fallon M. Systematic Review of the Use of Statistical Process Control Methods to Measure the Success of Pressure Ulcer Prevention. Int Wound J. 2018;1-11. https://doi.org/10.1111/iwj.12876
For a copy of the full paper published in the IWJ, please contact rhys.donovan@directhealthcaregroup.com