Partnership aimed at reducing pressure ulcers

The partnership will combine pressure mapping technology into bed mattresses and seating pads, providing a way to track pressure points before pressure ulcers develop or worsen.

While the complications associated with pressure ulcers have always been a major clinical concern for resident discomfort and infection risk, pressure ulcers also can have a major impact on healthcare costs, especially if the ulcer leads to a hospital admission. In 2007, Medicare estimated that a single pressure ulcer can add $43,000 to a hospital stay. As a result, in 2008 Medicare and Medicaid revamped the reimbursement rules concerning pressure ulcers, implementing fines for facilities who had excessive pressure ulcer rates.