Since October 2008, Medicare no longer pays hospitals for ulcer specific care for patients who acquire pressure ulcer during their inpatient stay. Mandatory reporting of hospital-acquired stage three and four pressure ulcers has also been implemented.
Pressure ulcer prevention in acute care hospitals is not a new problem however since the CMS guidelines reflecting nonpayment for hospital acquired pressure ulcers there is heightened focus on tracking and documentation of pressure ulcers. Although many facilities have specific guidelines laid out on best practice measures to prevent hospital acquired pressure ulcers these measures are not followed on a consistent basis. Some measures include staff training: assessment of all patients on admission for pressure ulcer development using the (Braden