Here - EWMA 2013

ORAL PRESENTATIONS
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Free Paper Session: E-health and Home Care
Improving wound management outcomes in residential aged care
William McGuiness 1 , Carol Baines 2
1 La Trobe University (Melbourne, Australia);
2 Royal Hobart Hospital (Hobart, Australia).
Alternative care models that achieve required outcomes with less qualified staff are
needed for residential aged care.
Aim: To explore if wound management outcomes could be improved in residential aged
care by providing a program of education and a standardised product. The project
sought to test the outcomes using a sample of qualified nurses to provide base line data
for studies using unqualified personnel.
Method: Wound management outcomes were examined using a review of medical
records. An audit of knowledge was conducted via a questionnaire using case studies
and photo flash cards.
Results: Changes to wound healing rates demonstrated a decrease of skin tears and
pressure ulcers following the intervention. Although product utilisation was varied there
was some indication that the dressings selected were appropriate for skin tears. The
survey of nursing knowledge demonstrated a high level of confidence and knowledge.
Conclusion: An inconsistent approach to wound management was demonstrated in the
medical records reviewed, suggesting an inadequate clinician knowledge. This
assumption was not supported by the knowledge assessment with respondents
demonstrating an awareness of best practice. The former could be associated with a
reluctance to complete the resident’s medical record. Equally, the decrease in skin tears
and pressure ulcers may be attributed to an absent documentation rather than the
intervention. If residential aged care is to move to a less qualified workforce using
protocol driven practice qualified staff will have to ensure documentation is appropriate.
It would seem that further work in this area is needed prior to any further projects being
undertaken.
FREE PAPER SESSION: E-HEALTH AND HOME CARE
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Free Paper Session: E-health and Home Care
WOUND MANAGEMENT E-LEARNING COURSES IN HOMECARE,
IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES
Helle Simonsen 1
1 Homecare Nursing (Frederiksberg, Denmark).
Aim: Evaluate the challenges & opportunities of implementing wound management
e-learning courses to a broad specter of health care workers in the homecare area.
Method: Since 2009 e-learning courses in wound care management has been offered to
the about 930 healthcare workers in both homecare and nursing homes in the
community of Frederiksberg. In the homecare area 267 caregivers with none or 1 year of
education, and 100 members of the nursing staff were offered courses adjusted to their
level of previous education. The first year we started with a course about preventing and
managing pressure ulcers, subsequently more courses were made available.
Results: The first year the e-learning courses were read by 70-80% of the caregivers
and by about 66% of the nursing staff. The following year’s attendance decreased and
courses were only attended by about 50% the caregivers and 30% of the nursing staff.
The implementation challenges have been many; for example lack of organizing study
time, over limited access to computers and appropriate study facilities to language
barriers, and more. Despite these challenges we have seen a positive impact on our
wound management, especially less pressure ulcers, and a reduction in frequent
changes of bandages.
Conclusions: Based on the positive impact seen by the education of so few, we should
clearly expect further improvement with better implementation. Right level of resourcing,
appropriate study time and facilities could substantially strengthen all the opportunities
made possible by e-learning.
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