![[ Visit WOCN Website ]](images/banner.jpg)
On July 1, 2003, Minnesota became the first state to sign into law mandatory public reporting of stage III and IV hospital acquired pressure ulcers (HAPU). In the year 2007, unstageable HAPU were added to the reporting law. Annual reports published by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) offer unparalleled transparency; including data about individual hospitals revealing pressure ulcers as the most frequently reported type of adverse health event in Minnesota Hospitals.
In response to these findings, the Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA) SAFE SKIN* collaborative began. The cornerstone of the program is driven by the SAFE SKIN Roadmap which helps to guide Minnesota hospitals with organizational infrastructure to integrate system wide best practices for pressure ulcer prevention. Created through collaboration and consensus by Minnesota hospital based wound/skin experts, SAFE SKIN combines national and international guidelines with learnings from HAPU events and action plans submitted into a statewide registry by over 100 Minnesota hospitals.
The objective of the Minnesota SAFE SKIN collaborative is to decrease HAPU in Minnesota Hospitals. MHA continues to support the SAFE SKIN collaboration.
The roadmap has expanded (SAFE SKIN 2.0) to provide detailed targeted interventions for the most commonly occurring stage III, IV, and unstageable pressure ulcers: from medical devices (35%) and with the perioperative critically ill patient (58%). Outcomes to date include:
- 43% decrease statewide in Stages III and IV HAPU (Reporting Period Oct. 2007-Oct. 2012)
- 45% (cumulative) decrease in over 39 facilities reporting concurrent rate of Stage II, III, IV and Unstagable HAPU (Reporting Period Dec 2010-Sept 2012)