Promoting an inclusive approach to assessing and managing chronic wounds
Intended for healthcare professionals
CPD    

Promoting an inclusive approach to assessing and managing chronic wounds

Fiona Smith Senior lecturer, Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland
Ailsa Sharp Lecturer, School of Health and Social Care, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, Scotland

Why you should read this article:
  • To understand how loss of independence and social withdrawal can affect patients with chronic wounds

  • To remind yourself of the elements required for an optimal wound assessment such as wound measurements and tissue type

  • To contribute towards revalidation as part of your 35 hours of CPD (UK readers)

  • To contribute towards your professional development and local registration renewal requirements (non-UK readers)

Chronic wounds can be burdensome for patients and are associated with a loss of independence and social withdrawal. Additionally, there are challenges for healthcare services in providing care over a long period of time and across different acute and community settings. Patients with chronic wounds require a holistic assessment of their health and their wound, undertaken by healthcare professionals with knowledge of the wound healing process. Patients and carers may benefit from education and greater involvement in their wound care, since this can lead to increased independence, a sense of control and improved well-being. This article outlines the elements of an optimal wound assessment and explains how this can inform effective decision-making about appropriate care and management interventions. It also discusses how healthcare professionals can promote patient involvement and self-management of chronic wounds.

Primary Health Care. doi: 10.7748/phc.2023.e1797

Peer review

This article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software

Correspondence

fiona.smith@stir.ac.uk

Conflict of interest

None declared

Smith F, Sharp A (2023) Promoting an inclusive approach to assessing and managing chronic wounds. Primary Health Care. doi: 10.7748/phc.2023.e1797

Published online: 26 April 2023

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