Professor, Faculty of Medicine (Nursing)

MATSUDA Yumi

Research to devise care to facilitate “living and healing”

Our research involves working with multiple disciplines to prepare the patient physically and mentally so that treatment can be effective.
1) In a Study to Devise Care to Facilitate the Early Healing of Pressure Ulcers and Maintain Skin Functions, we are currently elucidating the mechanism by which warming and cooling, in the form of compresses, affect the wound healing process and we are devising nursing interventions to that end.
2) We are also researching comfortable positioning
(posture) and mobility assistance (no-lifting care)
to reduce the risk of pressure ulcers developing.
Recuperating in the same posture in bed is extremely
painful. We are researching methods of postural support
methods to prevent joint contractures and minimize
postural misalignment when getting out of bed, and
we aim to spread care that is comfortable and that
does not discourage patients from fighting their illness.
3) Research on nutritional support to prevent pressure
ulcers and combat disease.

 Cohort studies

Using data from cohort studies by the Yamagata University School of Medicine, we are also conducting research to assess the nutritional status of the general population in the area in relation to the elderly’s capacity to fight disease. Cholinesterase is a component in the blood, and research has revealed that serum ChE levels reduce mortality, so we plan to continue our research on the relationship between dietary intake and lifestyle habits that do not lower serum ChE.

Research to “reveal” the rationale for visiting nursing care

At-home care has difficulty obtaining objective information, such as blood sampling data, so we have been implementing nursing interventions using devices such as body composition analyzers and ultrasound devices. This is because we want to introduce objective assessment indices in visiting care and we want to establish a rationale for developing nursing care to improve the quality of life of care recipients at home. We are working to create a basis for achievement of a stable lifestyle using body
compositionanalyzers for patients at risk of
heart failure.