Achieving competency in wound care: an innovative training module using the long-term care setting

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Geriatrics
• Wound Care

Background:

• Long-term care (LTC) settings present a high prevalence of wounds and pressure ulcers (PUs).
• Postgraduate family medicine residents require specialized training in wound and PU assessment and management.
• Existing curricula may not adequately address the complexities of wound care in the LTC environment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and implement a structured academic teaching module on wound care for postgraduate family medicine residents.
• To ensure residents achieve competency in the assessment and treatment of wounds and pressure ulcers (PUs).
• To provide a transferable educational model for other training facilities.

Main Methods:

• Curriculum development based on clinical practice guidelines for PUs and wounds.
• Utilized a learners' needs assessment, didactic sessions, bedside case discussions, and a toolkit.
• Delivered through four weekly 90-minute interdisciplinary teaching sessions during a mandatory geriatrics rotation.
• Competency evaluation focused on objective clinical wound assessment, diagnosis, risk factors, and treatment planning.

Main Results:

• A comprehensive 1-month wound care module was successfully implemented.
• The curriculum integrated evidence-based guidelines and diverse learning techniques.
• Trainee competency was assessed through detailed documentation review.

Conclusions:

• Structured, guideline-based teaching effectively enhances resident competency in wound and PU care.
• This interdisciplinary approach is suitable for training residents in various healthcare settings with prevalent PUs.
• The curriculum provides a valuable framework for improving wound management education in postgraduate medical training.