T.I.M.E. to improve patient outcomes: use of a clinical decision support tool to optimise wound care

Patients with wounds pose an important healthcare challenge. Many of these wounds are managed in community care and can take weeks or months to resolve. Delays in wound healing can be perpetuated by clinicians who make poor treatment choices, fail to recognise complications and/or do not seek timely advice. Improving patient outcomes requires a proactive approach to care that includes accurate and timely assessment and re-assessment, treatment of the underlying cause using a multidisciplinary team approach and the use of evidence-based practice and clinical judgement to develop an appropriate treatment plan. A structured approach to care, such as the newly developed T.I.M.E. clinical decision support tool, has the potential to improve wound healing outcomes and reduce the burden of chronic wounds in community nursing services.