The National Wound Care Strategy Programme has released new guidance for secondary care on using the Model Health System for pressure ulcer data collection.
The collection of pressure ulcer data has been standard practice in NHS England trusts since 2012 and Safety Thermometer audit was used often alongside incident reporting data collection. However, both activities have drawbacks, taking clinicians away from clinical practice and not always accurately reflecting incidence. Available within the Model Health System, the new pressure ulcer surveillance system offers a standardised approach, aimed at reducing variation and improving data accuracy.
Back in 2020 and 2021, the NWCSP and National Stop the Pressure Programme jointly agreed to use existing national data sets as the source for reporting pressure ulcer prevalence and incidence. This results in a move away from auditing and similar practices that take clinicians away from time spent with patients and towards the collection of data via coded clinical records made at the time of care.
Supporting Model Health System guidance from the NWCSP includes:
- A briefing document relating to secondary care pressure ulcer surveillance using Model Health System metrics.
- A Model Hospital how-to guide.
The guidance outlines the process to help professionals in acute care understand how data flows into the Model Hospital, how to view pressure ulcer metrics in the Model Health System and the local actions that can be taken to improve and assure the quality of data.
Further guidance for community care will be available later this year.