Quality Improvement Interventions to Prevent Pressure Ulcers

This book provides an overview of comparative effectiveness research on quality improvement interventions for hospital-acquired pressure ulcer prevention in U.S. academic medical centers. The contents of the book include a review of many foundational elements of quality improvement theory, then develops a study on those theoretical works. Dr. Padula’s research identified five effective quality improvement interventions for pressure ulcer prevention, including: Leadership Initiatives, Visual Tools, Pressure Ulcer Staging, Skin Care, and Nutrition. This research supports the work of hospitals to strategize effective quality improvement interventions to support evidence-based practices for pressure ulcer prevention by engaging leadership and establishing sustainable solutions. Many hospitals without vast internal resources can use this book as a guide for adopting an effective quality improvement bundle outright.

William Padula is a health economist at the University of Chicago. He is a thought-leader on the use of quality improvement to increase effectiveness of complex healthcare delivery systems. Dr. Padula received his Ph.D. from University of Colorado, M.S. from Dartmouth College, and B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Northwestern University.