NQF Releases Pressure Ulcer Prevention and Management Framework 

The National Quality Forum (NQF) Board of Directors has recently endorsed a quality measurement framework for preventing and managing pressure ulcers across clinical care settings.  The framework is designed to provide a road map for identifying preferred practices and performance measures in pressure ulcer care, as well as identify care quality issues that require additional research or development. 

Pressure ulcers are one of the five most common harms experienced by patients in healthcare facilities¹, and are considered key clinical indicators of the standard and effectiveness of care across settings, including nursing homes, home health, rehabilitation facilities, and hospitals.  Accordingly, NQF developed a framework intended to support evaluation methods and tools focused on the following:

1. Assessing the categorization/stage of pressure ulcers;
2. Analysis of the tissues during treatment of pressure ulcers;
3. Measuring incidence and prevalence of pressure ulcers;
4. Prevention of pressure ulcers; and
5. Research recommendations for prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers.

NQF is a voluntary consensus standards-setting organization. Any party may request reconsideration of the framework, in whole or in part, by notifying NQF in writing no later than November 5. (To access the appeals form, go to the Pressure Ulcer Framework page.) For an appeal to be considered, the notification must include information clearly demonstrating that the appellant has interests that are directly and materially affected by the NQF-endorsed recommendations and that the NQF decision has had (or will have) an adverse effect on those interests.

The National Quality Forum operates under a three-part mission to improve the quality of American healthcare by: 

• Building consensus on national priorities and goals for performance improvement and working in partnership to achieve them; 
• Endorsing national consensus standards for measuring and publicly reporting on performance; and  
• Promoting the attainment of national goals through education and outreach programs. 

¹Elliot R, McKinley S, Fox V, Quality improvement program to reduce the prevalence of pressure ulcers in an intensive care unit,  Am J Crit Care,  2008;17(4):328-335.