HEALTH MATTERS 71 health research


Small change could lead to less pain


Dr Zena Moore, Lecturer at the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery at the Royal College of Surgeons (RCSI) in Ireland, says a small change in patient management practices could lead to much fewer pressure ulcers in elderly patients.


N


ew research funded by the Health Research Board (HRB) indicates that a small change in patient management practices could lead to fewer pressure ulcers in elderly patients, create significant savings and save time.


Having been a tissue viability clinical nurse specialist at Tallaght Hospital, I conducted the research as a HRB Fellow at the RCSI. I discovered that a simple change to conventional repositioning practices could dramatically reduce pressure ulcers among elderly patients and introduce significant savings and efficiencies in the delivery of care.


The new method uses a 30-degree tilt with bed-bound patients rather than 90-degree rotations. This led to a four-fold reduction the incidence of pressure ulcers, so it is clearly better for the patients. But it is also less time-consuming, requires less


nursing staff and it is more cost-effective when compared with standard care. The potential cost savings of this change in practice across the HSE are enormous. Our nursing research estimates show that the new method could save over €b250,000 through a reduction in staffing costs and wound dressing costs alone. This is based solely on the number of patients who would require repositioning in 12 hospitals across Ireland where we conducted our research. If you extended this out across the HSE, it could introduce significant savings and efficiencies.


+ Dr Zena Moore


“my findings have generated much interest among the nursing community and i am currently developing an education module for nurses around the use of the 30-degree tilt to help ensure that it is delivered in practice.”


The work is closely in line with Health


Research Board strategy and direction in terms of getting research findings into practice. This project clearly illustrates how dedicated research funding can generate


evidence that will improve patient outcomes and create efficiencies in the health service that provide significant economic benefits. From a nursing perspective, this research demonstrates how people working at the coalface can sometimes be the best people to identify problems and come up with the solutions. This work has the potential to put Irish health research firmly in a positive global spotlight and work will now start to influence policy and practice based on the new findings.


My findings have generated much


interest among the nursing community and I am currently developing an education module for nurses around the use of the 30-degree tilt to help ensure that it is delivered in practice. As President of the European Wound Management Association this year, it is also my goal to get the findings into practice on a national, EU and international level. A key focus of my presidency will be to make sure that the nursing profession in Ireland and worldwide adopts these new techniques as standard practice.


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