Did you know that an estimated 95% of adults with SCI will experience at least one pressure ulcer/injury in their lifetime? It is also the most expensive and preventable secondary complication for people who sustain a SCI, and the health care systems that serve them.
To help address this, the Rick Hansen Institute (RHI) and the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation (ONF) have partnered to advance the prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers/injuries after SCI. By supporting clinicians at six sites in Canada to form the Knowledge Mobilization Network, best practices are being implemented to prevent pressure ulcers/injuries. This work has led to publications examining the psychometric properties of outcome measures such as the Spinal Cord Injury Pressure Ulcer Scale (SCIPUS) for Pressure Ulcer Risk Assessment During Inpatient Rehabilitation (Delparte, 2016) and publications on the application of implementation science for preventing pressure ulcers/injuries (Scovil, 2015). RHI also recently funded Dr. Pamela Houghton of the University of Western Ontario, to utilize the lessons learned from the Knowledge Mobilization Network to facilitate the implementation of electrical stimulation for healing pressure ulcers/injuries in the community (for more information on the effectiveness of electrical stimulation see Houghton, 2017).
To further advance collaborative efforts in the area of pressure ulcer/injury care and treatment, RHI and ONF supported the development of the Canadian Pressure Ulcer Agenda. The objective of the Agenda is to guide SCI research and support advancements in the prevention and therapeutic management of pressure ulcers/injuries. The Agenda is focused on four priority areas including: data standards; health technology innovation; equitable and optimal care delivery; and self-management.
The Canadian Pressure Ulcer Agenda was developed through stakeholder engagement and consultation with a committee of Canadian experts in the field. To read the Agenda, visit RHI’s website here.