Patient Safety Series: Decreasing Hospital-Acquired Pressure Injuries

Hospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPIs) are a costly and preventable harm, often rooted in delayed identification and intervention. At MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center, a multi-year, multi-phase quality improvement project tackled this challenge head-on—beginning in the Emergency Department, where prolonged patient boarding creates heightened risk. This webinar will highlight the development and implementation of an emergency nursing-specific pressure injury screening tool, created in collaboration with frontline nurses and integrated into the electronic health record. With over 2,500 patients assessed and 643 virtual wound care consults completed during the pilot phase, the project led to a 62% reduction in hospital-acquired pressure injuries.

Presenters will walk through each phase of the initiative—from early screening and evidence-based prevention bundles to the innovative use of a dedicated wound care patient care technician and virtual wound nurse consults. Attendees will gain insight into how structured workflows, interdisciplinary collaboration, and real-time interventions can drastically improve patient outcomes, reduce costs, and ensure equity in pressure injury prevention. Lessons learned from this project are highly adaptable for other emergency departments and care areas seeking to reduce harm, improve documentation, and embed a health equity lens into clinical practice.