Assessment of Pressure Ulcer and Incontinence-associated Dermatitis: Through Written Information versus Photographs

Purpose: This study was performed to evaluate capabilities of the Korean clinical nurses to assess blanching erythema, stage I to IV, suspected deep tissue injury, unstageable pressure ulcer and incontinence-associated dermatitis (IAD).

Method: In September 2012, data were collected through questionnaire from 427 clinical nurses of 6 university Hospitals who were chosen by the convenient sampling method. Written information and photographs included 11 and 21 questions, respectively, for blanching erythema, stage I to IV-suspected deep tissue injury, unstageable pressure ulcer and IAD. Chronbach’s α of the assessment tools was .673 for written information and .837 for photographs.

Results: While accuracy through written information was 78.2%, accuracy through photographs was 48.6%. In assessment through written information, there was score difference according to clinical experience, working unit, hospital volume, frequency of pressure ulcer care, and in assessment through photographs, position, working unit, frequency of pressure ulcer care, educational experience of wound care, primary responsibility of pressure ulcer showed score difference. Scores between written information and photographs had a significant correlation.

Conclusion: Assessment capabilities through photographs were much lower than those through written information. Therefore, educations for clinical nurses are suggested to be performed through visual materials.