Wound Care Technology

Avoidable pressure injury: The development of a new pressure injury or the worsening of an existing one that results from a failure of the facility or caregivers to adequately identify, prevent, or manage the patient using acceptable care standards.

Alton R. Johnson, Jr, DPM, DABPM, FACPM, FASPS, CWSP

In this interview with Dr. Johnson, he describes the use of imaging technology in wound care and how clinicians should be aware of the way skin pigmentation may be evaluated differently/ incorrectly with these systems.

Elizabeth Day Dechant, BSN, RN, CWOCN, CFCN

The benefit of Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) as an “active,” adjunctive treatment is well-established. Evidence has shown that wounds treated with negative pressure granulate faster than wounds managed with traditional dressings. There is ever-increasing literature to support the use of NPWT to treat wounds effectively and safely in even the youngest patients.¹ Some specific benefits of NPWT for pediatric and adolescent patients include decreased frequency of dressing changes, as well as a dressing that is occlusive and unlikely to be removed by the patient.

As the health care industry moves from volume-driven to value-based care, clinicians are looking for ways to improve care and outcomes while reducing costs. Data-driven practice management has emerged as a key strategy for cost-effective quality care. But the question remains: How can patient data and analytics be used to improve wound care across care settings? Additionally, how can artificial intelligence and machine learning affect outcomes, and how can these technologies help providers achieve even better results in the future?

Wound care professionals should review clinical workflow regularly to provide effective and efficient wound care. If changes occur in your organization or the field, this review may prove vital in the face of growing patient numbers and high staff turnover. Improving the efficiency and effectiveness of clinical workflows can improve both cost-effectiveness and employee satisfaction. Because of this dual purpose, quantitative and qualitative assessments should be considered when evaluating clinical workflows.

According to a recent MGMA Stat poll, 60% of health care organizations offer an onboarding/mentorship program for new health care professionals. This process involves the transfer of knowledge from 1 clinician to another. While this premise sounds straightforward, it is more nuanced.

Wound care professionals may struggle to meet the ever-increasing needs of patients while they focus on learning new technologies or knowledge in a rapidly evolving field. Mentorship programs allow for easier knowledge transfer to speed up the learning process.

Electronic Medical Record (EMR): A digital version of the paper charts in the clinician’s office. An EMR contains the medical and treatment history of each patient in the practice.

Tracey Rickards, BN, RN, MN, PhD
Chris Boodo, MIMOSA Diagnostics

In this interview, Dr. Tracey Rickards and Chris Boodo discuss the concept of aging in wound care as well as the benefits remote patient monitoring offer to facilitate care to aging populations that may struggle to see care, such as immobile patients and those who live in rural areas.

Chronic and nonhealing wounds are a worldwide issue and are becoming more difficult to treat. In the United States alone, according to Medicare, over 8 million Americans have chronic wounds that cost the national health care system between $18.1 and $96.8 billion per year. If standard treatment does not adequately heal a wound, additional methods of wound care treatment may be required, and the underlying disorder must be examined to determine the need for advanced wound care modalities. Advanced wound care therapies are interventions that are used after standard wound care has failed.

By equipping nurses with the tools necessary to document wounds quickly and accurately, care can be prioritized more effectively. The equal standard of care is maintained from admission to discharge. This continuity is especially important during times of the pandemic where we have experienced increases in nursing shortages and traveling nurses moving among hospitals. What has become even more critical is the requirement for a systematic approach to wound management.