Medico-legal implications

Abstract

The medico-legal implications of pressure ulcer development are burgeoning throughout the world. Increasingly, pressure ulcers are being used as a quality indicator of care. Hence, the development of pressure ulcers can constitute a failure in the healthcare system. In the United States, the federal government believes that pressure ulcers are an excellent surrogate for how well the healthcare team is functioning. Thus, a high incidence of pressure ulcers usually can be correlated with high incidence of other care issues (e.g. falls, restraint usage, urinary incontinence). One aspect of the increasing view of pressure ulcer development as a marker for quality care has been the increasing level of pressure ulcer litigation against clinicians and their employers (hospitals, nursing homes, etc.). This chapter will review various aspects of the medico-legal implications of pressure ulcer development. More specifically, it will review pressure ulcers as a political agenda; the legality of pressure ulcers; regulatory and reimbursement aspects of pressure ulcers; necessity of chart audits related to pressure ulcers; and pressure ulcers as a quality measure.