Chronic complex wounds are a health problem, often invisible and underestimated, that has important repercussions at different levels, both for patients and for the health systems, due to the associated high costs.
These chronic wounds require an integrated system of care to be as effective as possible. In this context, the classic public health measures of prevention and early detection are added as key elements of a comprehensive strategy to control the development of wounds, diagnosis and treatment, follow-up and psychosocial and rehabilitative aspects.
The Advanced Practice Nurse APN helps optimize available resources, provides efficient management of care, prevention, diagnosis and treatment. In addition, it manages and coordinates the educational and research activity in the field of HCC care.
To determine the impact of APN in wound care over the adequacy of treatment for patients with chronic wounds and the consumption of dressings in the districts where they have been implemented; members of our group, in the research topic Pressure ulcers and chronic wounds, have carried out a quasi-experimental study in the health districts where APN in wound care was testet in a pilot programme in Andalusia.
This study has led to the training of a total of 2717 health professionals, reducing by half the prevalence of patients with injuries in home care programme and nursing homes. The adequacy of the treatments has increased to 90% and a savings of more than 250.000€ in dressings has been achieved.
Findings indicate that APN as consultants make the care of people with complex chronic wounds more efficient and the training they provide optimizes resources and improves the knowledge of professionals, involving better care of patients with chronic wounds.
The abstract of the article is available at: Jiménez-García JF, Arboledas-Bellón J, Ruiz-Fernández C, Gutiérrez-García M, Lafuente-Robles N, García-Fernández FP. The advanced practice nurse in the adequacy of treatments for complex chronic wounds. Enferm Clin. 2019. DOI:10.1016/j.enfcli.2019.02.001
