Prevention of pressure ulcers with digital wound documentation and pressure ulcer statistics

Our imito team has been using smartphones to quickly photograph wounds and document important medical details since 2015. At the latest, when pressure ulcers are increasingly occurring in a hospital, it is time to introduce a digital wound documentation. This can prevent further cases and staff can quicker document what measures are taken to prevent the occurrence of pressure ulcers.

If an acute pressure ulcer is discovered in a hospital patient - often a stage 2 pressure ulcer on the sacrum - rapid and structured action is crucial.

1. Describe the pressure ulcer in detail, including size, depth, exudate and necrosis, in order to create a clear basis for treatment.
2. Measure the pressure ulcer accurately - with imito you get a quick, precise and scientifically validated wound measurement of area, circumference, length, width and depth.

Pressure injury stages clearly documented

It is essential to differentiate precisely between the pressure injury stages in order to initiate the appropriate therapy. A stage 1 pressure injury often only shows persistent redness, while a stage 2 pressure injury already shows partial skin destruction.

In stage 3 or stage 4 pressure injuries, deeper tissue damage down to the fascia or bone is can occur. A clear wound description of the pressure ulcer helps with the choice of therapy, e.g. when selecting the appropriate dressing material for pressure ulcers, such as pressure ulcer plasters for the sacrum or heel.

The more correct term today is "pressure injury stages/categories" and no longer "pressure injury grades". This is based on international guidelines, such as those recommended by the European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (EPUAP) and the German Network for Quality Development in Nursing (DNQP).

Pressure ulcer documentation

Recording the wound healing phases of the pressure ulcer helps medical staff to assess the healing process. In the imito app, the respective phase -  e.g. inflammation, granulation or epithelialisation - can be documented visually and in text form. 

This is particularly relevant in the case of protracted processes such as a stage (category) 4 pressure ulcer on the heel or the sacrum, where close observation is necessary. The pressure ulcer classification according to EPUAP simplifies documentation and improves comparability.

imito's wound documentation can also contain many customised parameters, which our technical customer support team led by Florian Dietrich can configure for you.

Improving pressure ulcer prevention: faster digital wound documentation helps to document more

After acute care, consistent pressure ulcer prophylaxis is crucial to prevent further pressure ulcers. This includes

• Regular repositioning of patients to relieve pressure
• Use of pressure-relieving mattresses and pillows
• Skin care and moisturising
• Training for care staff and interdisciplinary collaboration

Digital documentation with imito helps to record these measures in a traceable manner and to check their effectiveness. This means that clinics can not only react, but also act proactively and prevent the development of further pressure ulcers.

Pressure ulcer in one of our patients - where exactly did they develop and why?

Sometimes it is unclear who exactly is responsible for the development of a pressure ulcer - whether the pressure ulcer was already present on admission or only developed during hospitalisation. If documentation is done digitally and quickly, it is more likely that staff will document more and more accurately - right from the start.

Pressure ulcer stage 1, 2, 3 and 4 - how many of each have you had in the last year?

Ultimately, the systematic recording of pressure ulcer statistics is helpful for quality management in order to decide whether something the standard processes need to be changed.

With imito, hospitals can not only document individual pressure ulcer cases, but also record and analyse comprehensive pressure ulcer statistics for the pressure ulcer category. This also allows you to keep track of the number of existing and hospital-acquired pressure ulcers: 

In the example, a total of 35 cases were recorded in the period from 1 January to 18 March 2025, 26 of which already existed on admission and 9 of which were acquired in the hospital.

As well as the distribution of pressure injury stages on different wards: The 9 pressure ulcers acquired in the hospital are distributed across different wards, as it can be seen in the colour-coded diagram.

You can also view the development and stages over time: The categories in the first assessment range from pressure ulcer stage 1 (4 cases) to pressure ulcer stage 2 (6 cases), with unspecified (1 case) and unknown pressure ulcer categories (8 cases) also documented.

imito's clear dashboards make it easier to analyse and report in order to plan targeted preventive measures, measure treatment success and thus support clinical quality management.

A passionate team behind it

We are convinced that the combination of precise, mobile wound documentation and comprehensive statistical analysis makes imito a valuable tool for hospitals - over 60 hospitals already trust us.

imito makes it possible to simply document more and faster, to record the healing process transparently, to improve decubitus prophylaxis in a targeted manner and thus to measurably increase the quality of care.