The Occupational Therapist's Role
Now that you have viewed our website, you have been provided with an introduction to pressure ulcers and how to manage them.
Using this information can go a long way in maximizing client function and reducing the potential negative impact that pressure ulcers could have on clients.
Be sure to seek expert opinion to supplement the information you gather from our website.
As OTs We Should....
1. Know our role in pressure ulcer management for people with SCI
Guihan, M., Hastings, J., & Garber, S. (2009). Therapists’ roles in pressure ulcer management in persons with spinal cord injury. Journal of Spinal Cord Med, 32 (5), 560-567. (Guihan et al., 2009)
The above citation presents the findings from a survey administered to OTs and PTs who, for the most part, worked at veteran’s affairs spinal cord injury centers. The survey was administered, collected, and analyzed to get a picture of how OTs and PTs usually participated in pressure sore management for people with SCI. The role of OT and PT overlapped significantly and only differed in the area of tissue mobilizations (only done by PT). Both OTs and PTs played a part in determining the cause of the wound, “involvement after tissue healing,” “initial remobilization,” “progression of sitting time including assessment of skin tolerance,” “instruction in pressure relief maneuvers/techniques,” “instruction of safe transfers,” “procurement of new equipment to address seating needs,” “assessment of transfer safety,” “assessment of bathroom equipment,” “patient education” and “seating evaluation.”
2. Recognize the importance of preventative, individualize, and flexibly adapted interventions
Vaishampayan et al. (2011) conducted an inductive content analysis on Community-Based Intervention for People with Spinal Cord Injury. (Vaishampayan et al. (2011)
2 key clinical implications from this research include:
3. Recognize the need for more Research
Whalley Hammell, K. R. (2010). Spinal cord injury rehabilitation research: patient priorities, current deficiencies and potential direction. Disability and Rehabilitation, 32 (14), 1209-1218. (Whalley Hammell, K. R. (2010)
This article by Whalley Hammell gives suggestions for future research concerning spinal cord injury rehabilitation. Pressure sores was one of the research priorities named by people who have spinal cord injuries. In the article, Whalley Hammell mention that there is little research concerning interventions for people with spinal cord injuries who have pressure sores.
Guihan, M., Hastings, J., & Garber, S. (2009). Therapists’ roles in pressure ulcer management in persons with spinal cord injury. Journal of Spinal Cord Med, 32 (5), 560-567. (Guihan et al., 2009)
The above citation presents the findings from a survey administered to OTs and PTs who, for the most part, worked at veteran’s affairs spinal cord injury centers. The survey was administered, collected, and analyzed to get a picture of how OTs and PTs usually participated in pressure sore management for people with SCI. The role of OT and PT overlapped significantly and only differed in the area of tissue mobilizations (only done by PT). Both OTs and PTs played a part in determining the cause of the wound, “involvement after tissue healing,” “initial remobilization,” “progression of sitting time including assessment of skin tolerance,” “instruction in pressure relief maneuvers/techniques,” “instruction of safe transfers,” “procurement of new equipment to address seating needs,” “assessment of transfer safety,” “assessment of bathroom equipment,” “patient education” and “seating evaluation.”
2. Recognize the importance of preventative, individualize, and flexibly adapted interventions
Vaishampayan et al. (2011) conducted an inductive content analysis on Community-Based Intervention for People with Spinal Cord Injury. (Vaishampayan et al. (2011)
2 key clinical implications from this research include:
- Goal setting and interventions should be tailored, individualized, and flexibly delivered when working with clients with SCI in the community to prevent pressure ulcers, and
- Community-based pressure ulcer prevention, though expensive, are justifiable as they monitor the complex link between lifestyle and ulcer risk, and prevent healthcare cost associated with advanced pressure ulcers.
3. Recognize the need for more Research
Whalley Hammell, K. R. (2010). Spinal cord injury rehabilitation research: patient priorities, current deficiencies and potential direction. Disability and Rehabilitation, 32 (14), 1209-1218. (Whalley Hammell, K. R. (2010)
This article by Whalley Hammell gives suggestions for future research concerning spinal cord injury rehabilitation. Pressure sores was one of the research priorities named by people who have spinal cord injuries. In the article, Whalley Hammell mention that there is little research concerning interventions for people with spinal cord injuries who have pressure sores.