Using a research-based assessment scale in clinical practice.

The Braden Scale has been translated into Chinese, Japanese, Dutch, French, German, Italian, and perhaps other languages. It has been implemented in many health care settings in the United States and abroad. Perhaps the most significant data come from individual settings, such as the two highlighted earlier, which show that through use of a research-based risk assessment tool and a program of prevention based on the findings of the assessment, pressure ulcer incidence can be reduced. Both sites saw a 50% to 60% decrease in incidence of pressure sores. If the cost projections of Miller and Delozier cited earlier are correct and this decrease could be replicated in hospitals across the country, the cost savings for the nation would exceed $400 million.