Saving Money and Preventing Pressure Ulcers: Is It Possible?

Saving Money and Preventing Pressure Ulcers:  Is it Possible?

Background/significance:

 Due to the increasing costs of renting specialty mattresses for pressure ulcer (PU) prevention and treatment, a quality improvement project was initiated to determine if purchasing specialty mattresses (alternating pressure) would reduce the number of Facility Acquired Pressure Ulcers (FAPU) and  result in cost savings.

Methods:

In October 2013, the cost for renting mattress/bedframes for PU prevention/treatment (92 totals) was $37, 875/month for a 155 bed Community Living Center (CLC).   It was determined that the cost and usage of specialty mattresses could be managed by replacing rental products with facility owned items.  This would allow each resident to be placed on a pressure redistribution mattress upon admission or when their conditions changed, and prevent a delay in care.

  Staff from Nursing, Biomedical and Engineering, Environmental Management and Acquisitions and Management participated in a “Bed Fair” to evaluate the products.  The product chosen not only supported PU prevention but could accommodate taller and bariatric residents, assist with fall prevention and reduce staff injuries. The purchase, delivery and set up process was completed by  April 2014.

Results or Outcomes:

In 2013 the number of FAPU in the sacral/torso area was 17.  For 2014 the number of FAPU in these same areas numbered 9.  These results have been sustained through September of 2015 with only 3 FAPU.    The cost of the purchase is completed over 24 months, with the future being “cost neutral”.

Conclusion/ Recommendations

 While no single product alone can reduce PU’s, as part of a total program, specialty surfaces do play a significant role.  The cost savings with purchase over renting is significant.  This new process engages and empowers the nursing staff to match the product to the resident at the time of need.