An Interprofessional Approach to Supporting Evidence-Based Wound Care Practices in Health Care Sectors Outside Major...

To determine the unique wound management requirements of regional healthcare professionals and to assess the effectiveness of an evidence translation model on practice and confidence in evidence-based wound management.

A pre/post implementation study, including pre/post surveys.

The project was implemented in two regional areas in Australia.

Forty-two eligible health professionals completed pre-workshop surveys. Eighteen participants attended a face-to-face workshop while between four and 14 participants attended online workshops each week. Immediately post-workshop, 17 health professionals completed surveys, with 13 able to be directly matched with pre-workshop surveys. Seven participants completed case scenarios as part of the post evaluation within their practices.

This study obtained information on current wound types and treatment strategies in regional areas in Australia. Outcomes of this study found positive trends in the confidence of evidence-based management of wounds in regional areas following the implementation of two formats of an evidence translation model (one face-to-face and one online).

Both formats of the evidence translation model benefited the community in being able to facilitate the implementation of evidence-based wound care in regional areas; therefore potentially leading to improved health outcomes. Pilot information on the prevalence and management of wounds for people in regional areas and supporting information on healthcare professionals' perceptions, knowledge and confidence of wound care in these areas will assist in guiding practice in the future. The outcomes of this project are a starting point for establishing units and/or networks specialised in wound care across regional areas in Australia. The use of innovative evidence translation models ensures sustainability of the use of evidence-based resources and information and in particular understanding that flexible versions of models can and should be used.