Retrospective Speculation and Responsibility in Pressure Ulcer Prevention in the United Kingdom’s National Health Service
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21059852 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Els Roding (0000-0001-8293-1674, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 45 |
| Issue | 6 |
| Pages | 1-13 |
| Publication date | 2026-06-22 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Medical Anthropology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0145-9740 • E-ISSN: 1545-5882 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/01459740.2025.2601671 |
| PMID | 42329871 |
| OpenAlex | W7165568497 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 26 |
In the UK's National Health Service pressure ulcers are considered mostly avoidable, but they develop in large numbers. This problem is hard to resolve, due to uncertainty around which particular (in)actions caused the ulcer. I argue that hospital staff's practices of navigating this uncertainty are based on "retrospective speculation": the practice of assessing the past to anticipate and intervene on the future. In contrast to dominant narratives that frame pressure ulcers as failure, I argue that "retrospective speculation" provides space for hospital staff to reassess where responsibility for prevention lies in the context of high pressures on the health service
Health care · Health services · Retrospective cohort study · Service (business) · Speculation · Pressure Ulcer Prevention and Management · Stoma care and complications · Surgical site infection prevention
Speculative Research
Order out of Chaos
Navigating uncertainties in critical care with Covid-19
The Anthropology of the Future
The emergence of multimorbidity as a matter of concern
Multidisciplinary team meetings
Demonstrating development
Anticipation
Challenging NHS Corporate Mentality
From the human to the planetary
"We come in as "the nothing
Anticipating an unwanted future
Introduction
The genesis of chronic illness
Understanding and managing uncertainty in health care
Overruling uncertainty about preventative medications
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |