OUTCOME ASSESSMENT OF AN IN-HOSPITAL CROSS-FUNCTIONAL WOUND CARE TEAM

A multidisciplinary wound care team was developed at the Medical Colle ge of Pennsylvania Hospital in 1993 to standardize wound management, a ppropriately allocate resources, prevent the occurrence of hospital-ac quired decubitus ulcers, and effectively manage existing pressure ulce rs. This report presents 4 years of prevalence survey data (n = 690 pa tients over 4 years), which affords an outcome analysis regarding the efficacy of the multidisciplinary wound care team. A significant reduc tion in the number of patients with pressure ulcers, hospital acquired pressure ulcers, and patients with hospital acquired ulcers occurred. There was, also, a significant improvement in skin integrity document ation, and in the implementation of nutritional assessments. These fin dings suggest that the multidisciplinary wound care team has been an e ffective means of gaining some control of decubitus ulcers, which are associated with increased patient morbidity and have an adverse econom ic impact on hospitals.