As society ages, in the areas of long-term medical care and home medical care, the number of aged people bedridden due to things such as cerebrovascular disorders and Alzheimer’s disease is increasing, and the number of cases of aged people forced to take prolonged bed rest after treatment for malignant tumors is also on the rise. Furthermore, there are also increasing more problems, such as after effects and spinal cord injuries, caused by a range of accidents and disasters, and the pressure ulcers developed by the patients who suffer from these kind of problems are recognized as a social issue.
Up to now, pressure ulcers were considered to be a cause of shame in nursing. However, as a result of actively studying the risk factors for the onset of pressure ulcers and making efforts to elucidate the relationship with the activities of daily life (ADL), the patient's physical status, nourishment, metabolic disorders, and underlying disorders, it is now understood that the prevention and treatment/nursing of pressure ulcers requires multifaceted cooperation and a variety of approaches. Therefore, as we proceed into the 21st Century and nursing care insurance starts, this problem of pressure ulcers is one of the most important faced by those of us engaged in medical care.
From this perspective, a wide range of medical personnel engaged in the medical care of pressure ulcers and wounds, including doctors, nurses, care staff (professional caregivers and care workers), dieticians, pharmacists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, clinical engineers, medical engineering researchers, and drug development engineers, were asked to concur and gather, and the various fields came together to establish the academic society known as the Japan Society of Pressure Ulcers. As well as carrying out research and examination of a wide range and variety of problems from prevention to treatment of pressure ulcers, the Japan Society of Pressure Ulcers also provides a place for discussing experiences and problems related to treatment and exchanging opinions with the aim of performing enlightening and instructional activities which can be applied in clinical practice.
Specifically, we hope that the Japan Society of Pressure Ulcers will contribute to the mental wellbeing of patients suffering from pressure ulcers and their families through the advancement of fundamental research related to pressure ulcer onset and healing promotion, the application of that research to clinical practice, and the development and adoption of pharmaceutical products, medical materials, and medical engineering apparatuses (decompression devices etc.). Furthermore, we also consider the creation of an evaluation standard for pressure ulcers suitable for Japan and, in line with the nursing care insurance to be introduced in 2000, activities for transmitting on-site voices regarding pressure ulcers to health services critical missions of our academic society. We hope that you understand our above-mentioned purpose and will concur with and participate in our academic society.
2011.8.26
Japanese Society of Pressure Ulcers