Evidence-Based Wound Care : Development Project in Finland

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to describe the results of the Learning by developing project on wound care carried out by the University of Applied Sciences and the City. The City’s health care and social services have developed wound care by drawing up shared practice protocol e.g. for treating varicose ulcers. An operating model has also been drawn up of the division of responsibilities between primary health care and specialised medical care. Active wound care development work continues and the purpose of this development work is to prevent wounds, prevent wounds from becoming chronic, improve the effectiveness of treatment, speed up the healing process and improve patient safety. The aim is high-quality, systematic and uniform wound care in health care and social services. During the development activity, the number and quality of wounds in primary health care and care staff’s evaluations of their own skills in treating different types of wounds were investigated, and the workplaceoriented, evidence-based wound care guides drawn up in the project were described. The subject areas of the wound care guides were treating first- and second-degree burns in primary health care and relieving wound pain without medication.

The results of this review can be used in harmonising wound care in primary health care, and in training and determining the resources allocated to wound care. Further reports are needed on preventing wounds from becoming chronic and the cost efficiency of different forms of wound care in primary health care, and also on the wound care skills and training needs among nursing staff.