Evaluation of an electric bed frame and pressure-reducing mattresses

Pressure ulcers remain a challenge to all healthcare professionals. With the trend towards caring for ill patients in the community there is a need to ensure that equipment used to prevent pressure ulcers in these patients is effective. It is not always appropriate to simply use equipment designed for hospital. This article describes the evaluation of an electric bed frame and three mattresses specifically designed for patients in the community, in either their own homes or nursing home/residential care. The location of this research can reduce the number of participants recruited. In order to compensate for this, three different methods of evaluation were employed - clinical, laboratory and anecdotal - which have produced results relevant to both purchasers and users of the system tested.