Pressure ulcers are a serious threat in long term care that must be countered with protocol and embracing technology such as wound care EMR.

1. Why Wound Care EMR Must be Considered
for Pressure Ulcer Management
One of the amazing applications of wound care EMR is in the realm of long term care (LTC).
Since it facilitates wound specific documentation, the care-giving team is kept updated
regarding the details of the wound and the progress in healing, and it becomes easier for
treating physicians to co-ordinate care and provide optimum treatment for patients.
Patients admitted to nursing home facilities have a health hazard they must prevent
themselves from contracting – pressure ulcers or bedsores.
It is well known that bedsores are better prevented than treated. Once a pressure ulcer
develops it is hard, though not impossible, to get it under control. Most bedsores can be
prevented. The appearance of a bedsore is sometimes considered a sign of poor care.
Efficiently Managing Pressure Ulcer Prevention
While pressure sores can be prevented, they do require effective management. Dedicated
pressure ulcer prevention is essential. A fixed set of measures must be in place and followed
strictly by the nursing home.

2. In an era when litigation involving bedsores is rising, facilities that do not have a consistent
process in place face an increased risk of litigation and regulatory burdens, not to mention
the loss of reputation, and the perception that the facility does not take good care of its
patients. With technological advancements such as dedicated wound management
software, treatment and prevention of wounds has greater potential, and litigators and
regulators would draw on that to highlight the lack of care at the nursing home.
Strictly Following the Protocol
Agencies such as the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the National Pressure Ulcer
Advisory Panel, the American Medical Directors’ Association, and the Wound, Ostomy, and
Continence Nurses Society have established some basic standards. Based on research,
following these standards does bring about reduced instances of pressure ulcers developed
at the facility. It is also important to increase the level of exercise, which not only helps
wound prevention but also aids in the management of weight, blood pressure, blood sugar
and stress management, as well as reduction of musculoskeletal pain.
Specifically, the approach towards serious prevention and treatment of bedsores must
involve:
 Employing EMR, virtual medicine and tele-health options
 Standardizing treatment protocol for a wide range of patient needs
 Employing strategies for reducing the risk of injury to staff when caring for high-risk
residents, and
 Putting in practice an advanced, innovative and interdisciplinary treatment approach
with physicians actively participating in its planning and conception

3. Employing Technology for Better Prevention
Nursing facilities should never hesitate to explore the latest technological options in wound
management. To determine the right technology to be employed, the nursing home should
set up a task force which would define the goals and requirements of the practice and
evaluate and review technological solutions in the light of those parameters. The task force
should contain a wound specialist, the nursing director, outcomes specialist and, of course,
legal and IT consultants.
Security concerns such as HIPAA requirements, patient consent, photo encryption, etc must
also be considered. The technology employed must ultimately facilitate more efficient
prevention and management of pressure sores, and also improve the efficiency of the
facility through streamlined functioning. And that’s where wound EMR comes in.
The Wound EMR Advantage
There are high tech solutions available which can help improve communication among
caregivers, reduce paperwork redundancy, improve remote access to the expert assistance
of certified wound specialists, and enhance transparency in the treatment. Advanced EMR
for wounds fulfills all these requirements. It also increases the chances of healing after the
bedsore has occurred, thanks to thorough monitoring with photos. Customization is the
other major advantage.
Nursing home and LTC facilities stand to gain massively with advanced woundcare
documentation software, though ultimately it is the patients who are benefited.