Does health equity have a place in wound care?

Pressure injury assessment is an essential aspect of healthcare quality and safety measures. But due to the limitations of the visual assessment, this can be challenging for patients with dark skin tones, creating a significant barrier to health equity.

The Joint Commission has created a new National Patient Safety Goal (NPSG) goal to help prioritize and operationalize health equity. According to The Joint Commission, “The new NPSG increases the focus on improving health care equity as a quality and safety priority, but the requirements for accredited organizations are not changing.”

This NPSG is a timely initiative. The NPIAP recently convened around the topic of health equity in assessing pressure injuries in persons with dark skin tones. Because skin pigmentation presents challenges when relying on visual skin assessment, patients with darkly pigmented skin face an increased risk of pressure injury development.

Formally known as NPSG.16.01.01, it will increase the focus on improving health care equity as a quality and safety priority. Effective July 1, 2023, it will apply to the following Joint Commission–accredited organizations:

• • All hospitals
  • All critical access hospitals
  • Certain ambulatory health care organizations
  • Certain behavioral health care and human services organizations

From the hospital’s perspective, below are just some of the elements of performance associated with NPSG.16.01.01 include:

1. 1. Designating individual(s) to lead activities that improve health equity for patients.
   2. Identify health care disparities in its patient population by stratifying quality and safety data.
   3. Development of a written action plan of how the hospital will improve health equity.
   4. Acting when they do not achieve or sustain the goal(s) put in place to improve.
   5. Annual updates to key stakeholders on progress made to improve health equity.

WoundVision is committed to supporting healthcare organizations who seek to improve health equity in the field of pressure injury prevention and wound care. One benefit of WoundVision’s long-wave infrared technology is that skin pigmentation doesn’t affect thermal emissivity when measuring skin temperature. This helps clinicians enhance their documentation and overcome the age-old challenge of assessing darkly pigmented skin.

Click here to read more about The Joint Commission’s National Patient Safety Goal (NPSG.16.01.01).