Adverse trends occur in the healthcare setting at an alarming rate. “Such incidents pose considerable challenges to an organization, both in terms of the need to respond intelligently to their occurrence and in terms of the need to deal with their aftermath” (Charles, 2003).
Adverse trends are treatable and preventable when addressed in a timely manner. “The failure of health care professionals and health institutes to address this problem has threatened to undermine public confidence in the healthcare system as a whole” (Hébert, 2001).
Finding the reasons why adverse events and trends occur and finding ways to prevent them takes thorough research and the application of evidence based practice. “In the delivery of healthcare, errors and adverse events are increasingly recognized as an international problem for medicine” (Hébert, 2001).
This paper will attempt to address a common adverse event in the healthcare setting and review data collection, the use of technology, and preventative measures. Pressure ulcers are a common problem in the hospital and long term care setting. “The challenge is to find a way forward that provides the necessary support for the people involved while ensuring that the lessons of the incident are learned both by individual staff members and by the overall organization” (Charles, 2003).
The Term Paper on Behind the Terms of Address
Something behind the Terms of Address The way that people address others has rich meaning and they vary significantly among different countries and regions. There are multiple factors contributing to the phenomenon, including the influence of history, politics and geography. The close relationship between language and culture is revealed explicitly and implicitly from the terms of address. ...
An increase in the incidence of pressure ulcers on a hospital or long term care unit would warrant further investigation. “It is estimated that 1.3 million to 3 million adults have a pressure ulcer, with an estimated cost of $500 to $40,000 each ulcer” (Lyder, 2003).
Information concerning the increase in pressure ulcer prevalence can be gathered from a variety of sources. “data collection can be done in a multiplicity of ways and computers facilitate the data collection process” (Hebda & Czar, 2013).
Sources may include data from the patient’s chart such as, the skin assessment form from the date of admission, Braden scale scores, history and physical, the TAR, and physicians orders.
“The purpose of a data collection tool is for gathering specific details of an intervention in an organized, systematic, and scientifically robust manner” (Hebda & Czar, 2013).
Once the data is collected all of the information obtained would need to be thoroughly reviewed to ascertain where the surge in pressure ulcers is stemming from. It would also be important to interview patients and staff, evaluate the products that are being used in treating the ulcers, and perform meticulous skin assessments at increased intervals. This data would be important in helping to determine how the incidence of pressure ulcers increased. The ultimate goal would be to heal pressure ulcers already present and attempt to prevent any new occurrences. “Because pressure ulcers are a good indicator of quality of care, the failure to prevent or heal them can lead to litigation” (Lyder, 2003).
The data collected regarding the adverse trend should give the interdisciplinary team an eagerness to address the issue as expeditiously as possible to prevent any further complications.
