(CR-039) Trends in Pressure Injury Prevalence Rates and Average Days to Heal Associated with Adoption of a Comprehensive Wound Care Program and Technology in a National Skilled Nursing Organization

Jeanine Maguire, MPT, CWS – Vice President Skin Health and Wound Care, Skin Health and Wound Care, Genesis HealthCare; Amy Cassata, RN, WCC – Vice President Clinical Success, Clinical Success, Swift Medical Inc.; David Mannion, BA – Director Marketing Development, Marketing, Swift Medical

Introduction: A large skilled nursing facility (SNF) in the US adopted a holistic wound care model that included an artificial intelligence (AI) wound care management solution (WCMS) to improve pressure injury (PI) care.



This descriptive evaluation study aimed at comparing the trend in PI point prevalence rates and average days to heal linked to adopting technology in practice from 2021 to 2022 for the same 8-month period (Jan-Aug). The study also assessed the rate of fines associated with PIs (F686 citations) in facilities that adopted the technology compared to those that did not.

Methods: The study used the WCMS database to compare anonymous PI wound evaluations assessed in 2021 (15,583 patients) vs. 2022 (30,657 patients) from all SNF facilities that adopted the technology in 2021 (69 centers) and 2022 (128 centers).

Results: There was a 13.1% reduction in PI prevalence from 2021 to 2022 across all stages of PIs. For facilities that adopted the technology for more than one year, the reduction in prevalence reached 15.9%.



The adopted branches in 2022 experienced a 37.4% reduction in average days to heal a PI, which equals an average of 17.7 days saved per PI compared to 2021 (P< 0.001). All stages showed a significant reduction in the average days to heal, with the most significant savings observed for stages three and 4, with an average of 35 days per stage 3 and 85 days per stage 4 PI in 2022 vs. 2021 (P< 0.001).



Overall, there was a 12.8% reduction in F686 citations reported in facilities that adopted the technology compared to the control group in 2021-2022. Only 1.8% of facilities using the technology in 2022 received a citation, compared to 16.5% in the control group.

Discussion: With the estimated decrease in the prevalence of PI, there are up to $940,000 in savings in additional out-of-pocket expenditures. Reducing the average number of days to heal is linked to a potential savings of 29,872 hours of clinicians' time caring for and applying dressings for PI. These savings highlight the necessity of following a model where digital tools are fully integrated into the healthcare system.