title: Improving wound care outcomes in the home setting.
abstract: In 2001 through 2003, our agency received deficiencies in infection-control practices, specific to wound care, from JCAHO and Medicare surveyors. Efforts to correct this pattern were initially unsuccessful. As a result, in 2003, an interdisciplinary performance improvement team was formed to assess, plan, and implement a wound care program utilizing research-based best practice. The changes in process, practice, and education resulted in success, with improvement evidenced by 100% acceptable practice during our 2004 unannounced JCAHO/Medicare survey, a declined rate of wound infection per our Medicare OASIS Adverse Event Report, and a decrease in wound care patient visits.
authors.affiliation: St Joseph Home Services Performance Improvement Department, Augusta, GA 30904, USA. elaines@stjoshosp.org
authors.forename: Elaine Norman
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Sturkey
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Linker
authors.forename: Debbie Davis
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Keith
authors.forename: Elaine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Comeau
mesh_terms: D019985:Benchmarking / Q000458:organization & administration; D002568:Certification; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards; D003152:Community Health Nursing / Q000193:education / Q000592:standards*; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration; D005845:Georgia; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000592:standards*; D007318:Inservice Training; D007591:Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000592:standards; D009731:Nursing Audit; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000193:education / Q000592:standards; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration; D011367:Professional Staff Committees / Q000458:organization & administration; D012307:Risk Factors; D017592:Skin Care / Q000451:nursing / Q000592:standards*; D017749:Total Quality Management / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014481:United States; D014946:Wound Infection / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000451:nursing*