Use of behavioral contingencies to promote prevention of recurrent pressure ulcers.

Objective: To determine effectiveness of an intervention using monetary rewards as a consequence for preventing or reducing severity of pressure ulcers in spinal cord injury (SCI) patients with a history of chronic, recurrent ulcers.

Design: Multiple baseline analysis across subjects (time-lagged control), comparing severity of pressure ulcers and treatment costs during baseline and intervention.

Setting: Outpatient wound-care clinic of private, nonprofit specialty hospital.