Measuring incidence and prevalence of pressure ulcers for intergroup comparison

As more emphasis is placed on outcome measurement as a tool for evaluating quality of care, development of a standard method for reporting the incidence and prevalence of pressure ulcers will become essential. Furthermore, the ability to use such a tool for intergroup comparisons will be a necessary component. In order to develop such a standard method, the issue of population definition must be addressed. A standard statistical method is presented that simplifies population concerns and that factors out the bias of varying degree or level of risk. Performing such calculations would facilitate meaningful comparison of incidence and prevalence rates between groups.