Development of a Comprehensive Wound Care Service Line

• TOPIC: A Wound Care Service Line was designed that encompassed a multidisciplinary collaboration to solve existing practice concerns.  This standard of practice was implemented to provide quality, evidence-based care to patients across the health care continuum.  
• PURPOSE:  This Level 1 trauma center supports teams of wound care specialists and physicians to patients with wounds in both the inpatient setting and outpatient wound center.  However, there was no integration of these services.  The Wound Care Service Line was established to address this integration need, as well as other wound care practice concerns.  These included delayed or lack of referrals to the wound care experts, inappropriate admissions due to deficient wound care education, missed diagnostics, and lengthier hospital stays. This led to increased costs and frequent readmissions.
• OBJECTIVE:  The objectives of the Wound Care Service Line began with the implementation of a certified wound care liaison nurse. Further objectives included Wound Care Service Line introductions and establishment of a referral process.  This was completed through educational programs and presentations to numerous departments on campus.  All team members met routinely to formulate standards of care and protocols.  Finally, the Wound Care Service Line proposed improved coordination of care by collaboration with community providers and vendors.  By incorporating these objectives The Wound Care Service Line integrated services and addressed practice concerns.
• OUTCOMES:  In less than a year all objectives were completed or on their second developmental phase.  Data proved a decreased length of stay and cost of care for patients seen by a wound care specialist. This Wound Care Service Line has offered patients the right care, at the right time, and by the right team of specialists.