Development of a wound management pathway at a small Rural Health Service

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Process The WMWP consisted of executive, allied health, unit managers, accounts and clinical staff to ensure the committee had organisation wide buy-in and could act on recommendations made. In 2012, BHS partnered with an industry consultative Wounds Improvement Program to review current systems and conduct a wound prevalence audit of acute, residential and community clients. A report of recommendations was produced which included: standardisation of procedures; policies; wound products; documentation; an education program for all staff involved in wound care to support change and embed new practice. The report recommendations were implemented early 2013. Additional education and resources were accessed from the Victorian Department of Health initiative, Connected Wound Care program. As the wound management pathway became formalised at BHS, it was recognised the working party’s role was finished and the Wound Management Committee (WMC) took over monitoring and reviewing the wound management pathway. The organisation wide audit is now conducted annually. There have been 3 to date.