Targeting Pressure Injury Prevention Strategies in Pediatric Patients: Using Technology to Enhance Data Use at the Bedside

As healthcare institutions become increasingly data driven, application of data at the beside to improve patient outcomes has become the norm.  Data collection using paper is cumbersome and does not allow for accurate, timely, and efficient data collection in a busy clinical setting. More importantly, many national quality improvement databases fail to provide the level of detail needed to target interventions in specific populations. In our examination of the prevalence of hospital acquired skin injury (HASI) in a large, tertiary care pediatric institution, we utilized an innovative, web-based application designed to support data capture for research and quality improvement purposes (REDCap¹). 

The predominant etiology of HASI in pediatrics differs from that of adults as medical devices are often implicated. Additionally, risk factors and injury locations are different than that of adults. Use of a customized web-based database allows for tracking of risk factors, medical devices, injury locations and other details, thus providing specific data that can be used to target interventions. Branching logic capabilities allow for fewer questions on non-complicated patients and more detailed questioning for high risk patients. As our experience with the electronic database increases, time for data collection is reduced and nurses have more time to spend educating the bedside nurse on the findings of the survey and specific nursing practice interventions. 

By using web-based user-friendly technology, data collection has proven to be easily implemented into practice and resulted in a ready to use, customized database requiring minimal post-survey processing.  Data reports on a specific device, individual unit or the entire inpatient population are available in a timely manner, providing actionable data, and can lead to positive patient outcomes. The REDCap database allows for collection of quality improvement required data points while customizing to hospital or unit-specific areas of concern.