Assessing the Accuracy of Diagnosis Codes and Their Present on Admission Indicator for the Occurrence of Pressure Ulcers

Purpose: Pressure ulcers (PU) are significant diseases with substantial social and economic burdens, necessitating the monitoring of their occurrence and exacerbation. This study evaluated the accuracy of PU diagnostic codes and present on admission (POA) indicators.Methods: Using cross-section analysis, PU diagnostic codes and POA indicators were compared with PU reports to assess their accuracy among patients with myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, or hemorrhagic stroke who are registered in the regional cardiocerebrovascular disease center registry between the second half of 2018 and second half of 2022.Results: Among 3,762 patients, 512 (13.6%) had PU according to the PU reports. During the analysis period, the accuracy of PU diagnostic codes was 56.1%, increasing from 17.5% in the second half of 2018 to 86.8% in the second half of 2022. The accuracy of POA Y and N indicators was 98.4% and 55.1%, respectively. The accuracy of the POA N indicators decreased from 80.0% in the second half of 2018 to 50.0% in the second half of 2022.Conclusion: Presently, the accuracy of the PU diagnostic codes and POA indicators is low. To improve the accuracy of PU diagnostic codes and POA indicators within the administrative data, strategies, such as improving perceptions among healthcare professionals, implementing education, and introducing evaluation measures, should be initiated.