Early Identification of Pressure Injury: An Equity-Informed Initiative.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Equity
• Clinical Practice Improvement
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Preventable hospital-acquired pressure injuries (PI) persist despite decades of clinical efforts.
• Late detection of PIs disproportionately affects patients with dark skin tones, highlighting a health equity gap.
• Overreliance on visual inspection alone hinders early PI detection in diverse skin tones.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce an equity-informed practice enabler for the early identification of stage 1 pressure injuries.
• To address the limitations of visual inspection in detecting early skin and tissue damage across all skin tones.
• To reduce preventable hospital-acquired pressure injuries through improved early detection.

Main Methods:

• Development of the 4Ts practice enabler by an interprofessional team.
• The 4Ts enabler assesses skin tone, temperature, texture, and twinge (pain) for PI detection.
• Implementation as a non-technological, practical approach in a hospital setting.

Main Results:

• The 4Ts enabler provides a comprehensive method for early stage 1 PI identification in all skin tones.
• This approach moves beyond simple visual inspection to include tactile and sensory assessments.
• Aims to trigger expedited preventive measures by improving early detection rates.

Conclusions:

• The 4Ts practice enabler is an effective, equity-informed tool for early pressure injury detection.
• This non-technological approach enhances clinical practice and addresses health disparities in PI care.
• Improved early detection via the 4Ts enabler is expected to reduce higher-stage, preventable pressure injuries.