Wound centres
Wound centre endorsements
The overarching goal of the EWMA Wound Centre Endorsement Programme is to support the continuing establishment of high quality wound centres that acknowledge the need for multidisciplinary teamwork and evidence-based wound management.
A working group including wound care experts with prior experience developing wound care centres in different European countries has defined a set of criteria as well as a procedure for wound centre endorsements. These criteria cover the centre’s physical facilities, procedures and equipment available for diagnosis and treatment, organisation and staff, referral routes as well as research and educational activities.
With this programme, EWMA also aims to support international collaboration and knowledge sharing about development and maintenance of high quality wound centres.
The EWMA Wound Centre Endorsement Committee
The committee responsible for the programme includes health care professionals (RN and MD) with a specialisation in wound management, substantial experience within the field of wound management and/or experience in developing/evaluating wound care centres in different European countries.
The committee includes:
- Hubert Vuagnat (chair), Switzerland
- Andrea Prokarná (co-chair), Czeck Republic
- Luc Gryson, Belgium
- Magdalena Annersten Gershater, Sweden
- Paulo Ramos, Portugal
- Tanja Planinšek Ručigaj, Slovenia
Wound centre endorsement procedure and criteria
Types of centres endorsed by EWMA
Endorsement criteria (application forms) have been developed for the following types of wounds centres:
The EWMA Wound Centre Endorsement Committee is currently working on endorsement criteria for wound centres with focus on diabetic foot ulcers and leg ulcers.
You can read more about the wound centre endorsement procedure below and in the EWMA Wound Centre Endorsement introduction
Costs
Centres within Europe
Initial endorsement: 2000 EUR + travel and accomodation related to the endorsement visit.
Re-endorsement (required after three years): 1500 EUR + travel and accomodation related to the endorsement visit.
Centres outside of Europe
Initial endorsement: 3000 EUR + travel and accomodation related to the endorsement visit.
Re- endorsment: 2500 EUR + travel and accomodation related to the endorsement visit.
The EWMA endorsement of wound centres is carried out in four steps, with a possible fifth step covering re-endorsement.
1. Initial application
An initial application/pre-endorsement is carried out via the completion of an application form in the format of a wound centre report template , aiming to describe the facilities, structure and services offered by the centre in a standardised way. The application form must be supported by documentation, as suggested in the application form. The objective of this is to increase the amount of information provided via the application form as well as strengthen the value of the application.
For further information, please see the EWMA Wound Centre Endorsement Application form for “Hospital based centres” and “Non hospital based centres”.
2. Review of wound centre data
A reviewer appointed by EWMA reads/views the completed application form and available documentation with the objective to evaluate whether the described facilities, structures and services offered meet the endorsement requirements defined by EWMA.
In case the reviewer finds that some requirements are not met, or he/she has questions about the replies provided by the responsible contact in the wound centre, the centre may receive some follow up questions that should be answered, or a request to change certain facilities, procedures or services. In case changes are demanded, an updated application form must be developed for evaluation.
Telephone meetings may be arranged during which the contact person appointed by the centre has an opportunity to further explain the conditions described in the application.
If the pre-endorsement is given, a visit to the clinic will be arranged.
3. Visit to the wound centre
A wound centre visit and on site evaluation by a wound care expert with expertise/experience in wound centre establishment is carried out 1-3 months after the pre-endorsement has been achieved. The expert responsible for the visit is appointed by EWMA.
The visit will have 1-2 days duration, depending on the type and size of the centre (typically 2 days for hospital based centres). The objective of the visit is to evaluate the key facilities and services of the centre in the context of the daily clinical work. During the visit, the centre staff is asked to arrange that the reviewer can:
- Follow and evaluate the patient procedures used in the centre;
- Visit and evaluate the surgical facilities in the centre/collaborating referral hospital;
- Meet the staff employed directly by the centre;
- Evaluate the diagnostic, treatment and prophylaxis procedures used in the centre;
- Visit selected primary collaborating hospital departments/referral hospital.
4. Final report & endorsement
Based on the visit, an evaluation report will be produced by the reviewer (EWMA). The report will include key points from the evaluation of the centre (Evaluation of the general level of care provided by the centre) and proposed/ required, changes to the current facilities and services provided. The report will state whether the centre can be granted a EWMA endorsement. The report will be received maximum two months after the endorsement visit to the centre.
An official endorsement certificate will be prepared for the endorsed centre, and the centre will have the right to use the “Wound centre endorsed by EWMA logo” on any relevant material developed and disseminated by the centre.
5. Re-endorsement
To maintain the status as EWMA endorsed wound centre, a re-endorsement is required every third year. An updated application form must be submitted and supported by updated documentation including, for example, actual patient numbers and data based on specific outcome measures (may be defined in collaboration between EWMA and the centre to ensure relevance).
A follow up visit will be carried out in connection with the re-endorsement.
Please contact the EWMA Secretariat at ewma@ewma.org, for more information about the EWMA wound centre endorsements.
Endorsed wound centres
Industry supporters
The development of the initial endorsement programme of the EWMA Wound Centre Endorsement programme was supported by an unrestricted grant from the Coloplast Access to Healthcare programme.
