Pressure Ulcer Knowledge in Medical Residents

Abstract

With the aging population and increasing complexity of patients with pressure ulcers (PrUs), as well as regulatory requirements, PrUs have become an important concern for physicians. Although there are some studies that measure nurses' knowledge of PrUs, there is a paucity of literature about physician knowledge of PrUs. Given that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is holding physicians accountable for documenting PrU status on admission to hospitals and the increased need for collaboration with revisions to long-term-care documentation MDS 3.0: Skin Condition, physicians' knowledge regarding PrUs takes on new urgency. This study reports on PrU knowledge of physicians using 2 tools: the Pieper Pressure Ulcer Knowledge Tool and a wound photograph test. Physicians' mean scores of 69% on the Pieper Tool were well below average scores of nurses' 76%. Physicians had greatest difficulty identifying suspected deep tissue injury and unstageable ulcers. Pressure ulcer content, including prevention, identification, staging, and treatment, needs to be included in physician education.

Knowledge and practice for pressure injury prevention among care managers in a home care setting: a cross-sectional study

“…In the USA and some European countries, questionnaire surveys on the knowledge and practices regarding pressure injury prevention have been performed for physicians, nurses, and nursing students in acute care settings. [11][12][13][14] Similar reports from Japan have been published. 15,16 In the home care setting, Fujita et al recently evaluated a questionnaire survey on pressure injury prevention among caregivers at home care and clarified that the levels of knowledge and practice among them were relatively low.…”

The Pieper-Zulkowski Pressure Ulcer Knowledge Test

“…14 The PUKT staging subscores ranged from 55.75% 14 to 79%. 12 Average PUKT wound description scores ranged from 70% 12 to 83.4%. 14 Educating clinicians and testing PrU knowledge remain a challenge.…”

“…4,9,11,13 Some reported low PUKT total percent scores (54.2%Y60%). 12,14,15 The PUKT prevention/risk subscores ranged from 65.2% 10 to 73.4%. 14 The PUKT staging subscores ranged from 55.75% 14 to 79%.…”

“…The authors concluded that physicians lacked PrU knowledge and that the content needed to be included in physician education. 12 Claudia et al 13 correlated prevention and treatment of PrUs with nurses' (n = 256) knowledge in Quebec, Canada. Nurses' average total PUKT score was 33.98/45 items (75.5%).…”

Tratamento Multidisciplinar de Feridas Complexas. Proposta de Criação de "Unidades de Feridas" no Hospital das Clínicas da FMRP-USP

“…Concordamos que a educação médica deve, portanto, abranger o conhecimento amplo sobre UPP, com enfoque na sua prevenção e tratamento multidisciplinar. 11 As equipes de enfermagem têm tido papel fundamental na prevenção e mesmo tratamento de alguns casos de UPP em muitos centros do mundo, incluindo o HC-FMRP-USP. Entretanto, os casos mais graves necessitam de tratamento cirúrgico para o fechamento das feridas.…”