Resources for patients and private carers
Find practical information and guidance for individuals with non-healing wounds and/or private care givers.
Remember to direct any specific questions or concerns regarding your personal wound management journey directly to your healthcare provider. EWMA is not able to provide advice concerning specific cases.
Wound Q&A for patients and relatives
A holistic approach to wound care is important to ensure appropriate treatment and management is provided. Therefore, it is recommended that you inform your General Practitioner (GP) and/or wound care nurse about other issues related to your health status (other chronic diseases, medication, etc.) and ask questions about your wound. These questions can lead to a valuable dialogue with your clinician to help your wound to heal. Working with your clinician and the treatment plan helps to ensure that potential complications are minimised.
The EWMA Home Care - Wound Care project
A EWMA working group is currenlty workin on a Tool Kit including evidence-based and/or best practice-based resources specifically designed for patients and private care givers or primary care staff who provide wound care in the patient’s home.
The project will include guidance on the role of the patient and/or familiy caregivers in the wound management team.
The tool kit is expected to be available in March 2025.
Patient rights
The European Charter of Patients’ Rights (Article 35 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union) states 14 patients’ rights that together aim to guarantee a ‘high level of human health protection’ and to assure the high quality of services provided by the various National Health Services in Europe.
The 14 rights are an expression of fundamental rights and as such they must be recognised and respected in every country. They are correlated with duties and responsibilities that both citizens and healthcare stakeholders have to assume. This charter was drafted in 2002 by Active Citizenship Network.
The European Wound Management Association supports the European Charter of Patients’ Rights and Article 35 of the charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. This charter can reinforce the degree of protection of patients/citizens rights in the different national contexts and can be a tool for the harmonization of national health systems that favours citizens and patients rights.
The 14 rights are linked to other international documents and declarations, emanating in particular from the World Health organization (WHO) and the Council of Europe.
- Right to Preventive Measures – Every individual has the right to a proper service in order to prevent illness.
- Right of Access – Every individual has the right of access to the health services that his or her health needs require.
- Right to Information – Every individual has the right to access to all kind of information regarding their state of health, the health services and how to use them, and all that scientific research and technological innovation makes available.
- Right to Consent – Every individual has the right of access to all information that might enable him or her to actively participate in the decisions regarding his or her health; this information is a prerequisite for any procedure and treatment, including the participation in scientific research.
- Right to Free Choice – Each individual has the right to freely choose from among different treatment procedures and providers on the basis of adequate information.
- Right to Privacy and Confidentiality – Every individual has the right to the confidentiality of personal information, including information regarding his or her state of health and potential diagnostic or therapeutic procedures, as well as the protection of his or her privacy during the performance of diagnostic exams, specialist visits, and medical/surgical treatments in general.
- Right to Respect of Patients’ Time – Each individual has the right to receive necessary treatment within a swift and predetermined period of time. This right applies at each phase of the treatment.
- Right to the Observance of Quality Standards – Each individual has the right of access to high quality health services on the basis of the
specification and observance of precise standards. - Right to Safety – Each individual has the right to be free from harm caused by the poor functioning of health services, medical malpractice and errors, and the right of access to health services and treatments that meet high safety standards.
- Right to Innovation – Each individual has the right of access to innovative procedures, including diagnostic procedures, according to international standards and independently of economic or financial considerations.
- Right to Avoid Unnecessary Suffering and Pain – Each individual has the right to avoid as much suffering and pain as possible, in each phase of his or her illness.
- Right to Personalized Treatment – Each individual has the right to diagnostic or therapeutic programmes tailored as much as possible to his or her personal needs.
- Right to Complain – Each individual has the right to complain whenever he or she has suffered a harm and the right to receive a response or other feedback.
- Right to Compensation –
Each individual has the right to receive sufficient compensation within a reasonably short time whenever he or she has suffered physical or moral and psychological harm caused by a health service treatment.
Awareness Campaign
The EWMA “I Wish to Tell You That…” awareness campaign is a powerful initiative that gives individuals living with wounds, their relatives or informal carers, a platform to share their thoughts, feelings, and experiences related to the non-healing wound as well as the treatment and care of the wound. The campaign aims to support an environment of understanding and empathy in the meeting between patients and healthcare providers in wound care.
Join the campaign
Join us in advocating for a healthcare environment where dialogue and patient-centered care takes the center stage. We invite you to take part in our #WoundCareDialogue because every #IWishToTellYouThat matters.
How to take part
- Record a Video Message: Express your thoughts, feelings, and wishes directly to your healthcare professionals. Your narrative has the potential to inspire understanding and empathy.
- Share Your Story: Share the triumphs, challenges, and emotions related to having a non-healing wound or caring for one who does
Send your video together with the signed consent form (available HERE) to: ewma@ewma.org - Encourage Others: Spread the word and encourage fellow patients and their relatives to participate.
- Use the Hashtags: If you post your story or video on social media, use the hashtags #IWishToTellYouThat and #WoundCareDialogue. Join the conversation and amplify the collective impact of patient voices.
- Reach out to EWMA: If you have questions or need support in sharing your story, feel free to reach out to ewma@ewma.org. We are here to guide you through the process.
Let’s advocate for improved communication and compassionate care in wound management through the power of shared narratives.
What do you need?
- Mobile phone or camera
- Space with no/little noise (be aware of fridges/freezer) and good illumination.
How to film?
Format: Horizontal (16:9) – make sure to place your phone/camera on an even, non-shaky surface or on a tripod, if you have it.
Light: Make sure that your face is in the light. Recording during the daytime is preferable, as you will have natural light. Make sure not to have sunlight behind you.
Duration: 30 seconds (max.)
What to say?
Please complete the following sentence:
I wish to tell you that_____________________________
If you are unsure what to say have a look at the questions below as inspiration:
- What specific challenges have you faced in relation to the treatment and care of your non healing wound?
- Can you share a specific moment or experience that highlights the importance of effective communication in your wound care?
- Were you always aware of the treatment plan for your wound?
- Have you experienced barriers in communication with the wound care professional(s) responsible for the treatment and care of your wound?
- Can you think of a positive experience where improved communication benefited your wound healing process?
Please note; you do not need to answer any of the questions. They are simply food for thought 🙂
Nervous?
Take a deep breath, smile, exhale, look into the camera, and imagine you are talking to a friend. There is no need to change anything in the way you speak or use your body language!
Language
Should you not feel comfortable answering the question(s) in English, feel free to answer it in your mother tongue. If possible, please send a transcript and a translation together with your video, to help us with the subtitles.
Consent form
To be able to share your video publicly, we need a signed consent form. Please make sure to download and fill out the EWMA video consent form (available HERE) and send it together with your video to ewma@ewma.org.
Living with chronic wounds
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More InformationLiving With Chronic Wounds (LWCW) is a EWMA project that aims to illustrate the experience of wound patients in a number of recorded interviews with patients, and healthcare professional(s) responsible for the treatment and care of the patient, as well as a representative of the healthcare institution. The most common types of non-healing wounds are represented, among others diabetic foot ulcers, pressure ulcers and venous leg ulcers.
Countries & videos
Czech Republic | Venous Leg Ulcer
Finland | Pyoderma gangrenosum
France | Pressure ulcer
Italy | Diabetic Foot
Switzerland | Venous Leg Ulcers
United Kingdom | Lymphoedema
United Kingdom | Recessive dystrophic EB (RDEB)
The videos were created by filmmaker Aurora Piaggesi. Copyright © EWMA 2018. The videos are available for use in education, advocacy activities and various communication activities.
