Systemwide Practice Change Program to Combat Hospital-Acquired Pressure Injuries: Translating Knowledge Into Practice

Considerable evidence exists on how to prevent hospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPIs). However, processes employed to implement evidence play a significant role in influencing outcomes.

One Australian health district experienced a substantial increase in HAPIs over a 5-year period (by almost 60%) that required a systemwide practice change.

This article reports on the people, processes, and learnings from using the Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (PARiHS) framework taking into account the evidence, context, and facilitation to address HAPIs.

Applying this approach resulted in a significant decrease in pressure injuries and positive practice change, leading to improved patient outcomes in a shorter time frame than previous strategies.

Processes guided by the PARiHS enhanced the effectiveness of translating evidence into practice and positively assisted clinicians to promote optimal patient care. This approach is transferrable to other health care settings.