Reporting of pressure ulcers and medical device related pressure ulcers in policy and practice: A narrative literature review

Abstract

Pressure ulcers (PUs) occur in a range of care settings, resulting in reduced quality of life for the individual. There has been a growing awareness that medical devices can cause PUs, although reporting has been limited. There is a need to evaluate PU reporting practice and identify whether standards exist for medical device-related pressure ulcers (MDRPUs).

Aim: To synthesize academic and grey literature relevant to reporting of PUs and MDRPUs in healthcare settings.

Methods: A systematic search of multiple scientific and grey literature databases was undertaken. Key search terms and Boolean operators were used to identify relevant literature. All sources of evidence discussing reporting practices were included in a synthesis. Primary topics are discussed in the corresponding analysis.

Results: Thirty-one evidence sources met the inclusion criteria, including 16 journal articles and 15 policy and guidance documents. The results revealed a variation in reporting practices. MDRPUs were often not identified as a separate category in local and national systems. Policies for related patient safety reporting varied across all organisational levels, with more serious categories of PUs reported more consistently. Reporting to medical device regulatory bodies was not mandatory.

Conclusion: This narrative review identified inconsistencies in local and national reporting of PUs and MDRPUs, prohibiting meaningful comparisons and improvements in patient safety. Lack of specific medical device data and low levels of voluntary reporting to regulatory bodies is likely to result in an under-reporting, with little evidence of specific devices which may be a patient safety concern.

Keywords: Guidelines; Medical device; Policy; Pressure ulcer; Reporting.