Improving patient outcomes with undisturbed wound healing
A recent QIP (Quality Improvement Project) identified 68$ savings per patient and empowered her facility to rethink their wound care budgets. Watch wound care nurse Leigh Tyson*, talk about her 'Study First: Driving the Case for Improving Hospital Wound Care', conducted at the Rose Medical Center, Denver, Colorado.
*BSN, RN, CWOCN
What led to the study
Despite the clinicians being dissatisfied with their formulary dressing, Leigh Tyson’s who is the facilities’ sole wound care nurse, requests to use a higher quality dressing, were turned down by procurement leaders due to a higher price per item. The solution was to gather data comparing the difference in dressing performance and utilization in order to prove the clinical need and economic benefit of changing to a more efficient product.
QIP Protocol
During the QIP, every-shift wound assessments were suspended. The WOC nurse measured, recorded and changed dressings every 3 days. Clinical nurses recorded and replaced dressings that had to be changed outside of the protocol. Over a 6-month study period, a total of 32 wound patients were enrolled in the study. The majority of the patients’ wounds were pressure injuries and venous leg ulcers. Wounds that required a filler dressing were excluded from the QIP.
