Continuous quality improvement in pressure sore prevention

The final article in this series examining the draft national clinical guidelines for pressure sore prevention and management considers continuous quality improvement. Different professions use different terminologies to describe quality assurance: nurses link it to 'standard setting' whereas the medical profession uses the term 'medical audit'. This article discusses the concepts of quality and audit in relation to pressure sores and their prevention. In particular, it addresses the importance of scientific rigour and multidisciplinary team working and management involvement.