Does teamwork make the dream work? A scoping review of multidisciplinary teams in pressure injury prevention and management.
TL;DR
Sustainable person-centred prevention and management of PIs require integrated multidisciplinary team approaches that promote shared accountability, clinical expertise and ongoing improvement, according to a scoping review.
Abstract
Objective
To identify, map and synthesise, available contemporary evidence on multidisciplinary team roles and approaches in delivering person-centred prevention and management of pressure injuries (PIs) across the lifespan.
Method
A scoping review was conducted. Searches were undertaken in MEDLINE/PubMed, CINAHL Ultimate, APA PsycInfo, Cochrane Library, PEDro, and Web of Science, alongside grey literature searches and reference screening. Studies published in English between 2016 and 2026 were included if they addressed multidisciplinary team roles in person-centred prevention and management of PIs.
Results
Eight studies published between 2018 and 2025 were included, with most focusing on adult inpatient populations. Multidisciplinary teams commonly included nurses, wound care specialists, physicians, dietitians, physiotherapists and quality improvement professionals. Nurses held central roles in assessment, prevention implementation, education, coordination and monitoring, while wound care specialists provided leadership and clinical expertise. Multidisciplinary team approaches incorporated staff education, skin care champion programmes, standardised risk assessment, quality surveillance and rapid response systems. Only two studies demonstrated patient and family engagement through education, digital communication and shared care planning. All studies reported reductions in PI incidence or prevalence, supported by leadership engagement, embedded multidisciplinary team structures and continuous quality improvement processes.
Conclusion
Sustainable person-centred prevention and management of PIs require integrated multidisciplinary team approaches that promote shared accountability, clinical expertise and ongoing improvement. Future research should explore the development and support of expanded person-centred multidisciplinary team models across broader age groups and community settings to enhance clinical implementation of PI prevention and management strategies.