Concept mapping the multi-disciplinary, multi-specialty collaborative publication: Practice dilemmas: Conditions that mimic pressure ulcers/injuries

Abstract: Pressure injuries (PI) cost the American healthcare system 16 billion dollars annually and increase morbidity and mortality. An estimated 2.5 million hospitalized patients develop PIs, and of those, 60,000 die annually from complications of pressure injury. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) instituted nonpayment and reimbursement penalties for hospital-acquired conditions such as PIs.

In addition to the financial repercussions of PI, hospitals are also at risk of HAPI-related litigation. While literature is abundant concerning the identification and treatment of PI, there are limited publications on the differentiation of PI from other wound etiologies. Given the significant implications that a PI diagnosis carries for patients and organizations, the timely differentiation of PI from its mimics is critical to appropriate treatment, reducing financial and legal risk, and improving patient outcomes.

Wound care practitioners include individuals with various disciplines spanning nursing, physical therapy, and medicine. Clinicians specializing in wound care have variable levels of expertise and work in numerous practice settings. Optimizing the outcomes of patients with wounds requires a holistic approach that encompasses these various experiences. In the Spring, Summer, and Fall of 2020, a doctorally prepared nurse and two DNP-CNS students spearheaded an interdisciplinary collaboration of 16 authors.

This partnership resulted in a unique manuscript that will guide clinicians in various practice settings to differentiate PI from other conditions. Moreover, the article’s production demonstrates the wound care CNS’s role in synthesizing and promoting evidence-based findings for application to clinical practice.