How important is mattress performance testing?
S3I testing and similar mattress performance tests are excellent engineering tools to provide comparative data for design input. For example, an immersion test may tell an engineer that Mattress Foam A permits more immersion than Mattress Foam B. Choosing Mattress Foam A may lead to better pressure injury outcomes. However, it is unknown whether this single variable will influence clinical results or to what extent, and other factors must be considered such as cost, durability, and micro-climate. As S3I states, “…no individual test result is predictive of pressure injury prevention effectiveness,” and, “Standard tests are not intended to demonstrate clinical outcomes or determining overall ranking or scoring of support surfaces…”64 Simply put, differences in mattress performance test results do NOT necessarily reflect differences in pressure injury outcomes.
References
64. Guidance on Interpretation of Performance Standards for Support Surfaces. National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel. https://cdn.ymaws.com/npiap.com/resource/resmgrs3i/12-10-2020__S3I_Guidance_on_.pdf. Published December 10, 2020. Accessed April 13, 2021.