Streamlining the Management of Patients With Problematic Wounds: Must a Multidisciplinary Team Formulate All Patient Manageme
- Thu, 9/4/08 - 11:52am
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Background. The Association for the Advancement of Wound Care (AAWC) guidelines promote the comprehensive, interdisciplinary management of patients with chronic wounds by multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) comprised of designated specialists.1 Since these patients are known to have a high incidence of multiple medical problems, comorbidity factors that require input from many specialties for wound prevention (both effective and safe wound treatment), this approach seems to be logical.2 Conversely, since problem wounds should be promptly treated,management systems should reduce or eliminate any redundant time needed for work-up or treatment implementation.3,4 Simple enhancement of communication between specialist and primary care providers shortens the time needed to implement a management plan. Previous studies demonstrated that although telemedicine based assessment might not replace a face-to-face, comprehensive SWCS assessment of a patient with a chronic wound, telemedicine based judgments are relatively accurate and streamlines the management process.4,5 With consideration of morbidity that results from delayed wound care program implementation, costs, emotionally and physically stressful transportation, available resources within care settings, and the development of pressure sores—decreasing management plan implementation time seems feasible. This can be accomplished through providing necessary evidence that would establish the value of evidence based MDT decision-making and its impact on the initial (SWCS) assessment and management plan.6 Specifically, this study was undertaken to determine the impact of MDT meetings with respect to changes in the management plan of problematic wounds already formulated by a SWCS after review of electronically-transmitted data and direct patient examination.
References
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