Wound healing university diplomas in France: an impact measurement after 6 years

An educational programme in wound healing was developed in France in 1998. The course lasts for 1 year and consists of 100 hours of interactive education including wound-healing principles, management of pressure ulcers, leg ulcers, diabetic foot ulcers, burns and trauma. The programme mixes theoretical and practical issues and results in the award of a diploma that identifies students as having a level of expertise in wound healing. A large component of each student's evaluation is based on a thesis that has been developed by the student during the year. After 6 years of continual development and modification, this educational approach was analysed to evaluate its impact on wound healing in France. More than 500 individuals have been trained by this educational programme, including nurses, physicians, pharmacists, physiotherapists and employees of commercial concerns. In order to evaluate the impact of such a training programme on changing practice in France, a questionnaire was developed and a telephone survey carried out. The results of this survey are reported here and they show that education and training provided undertaking a university diploma has played an important role in the development of wound healing and the subsequent change in practice in France.