In 2017-2018 EWMA will focus on the following topics with the objective to produce guidance materials to support clinical practice and decision making: 

Surgical Site Infections (SSI)

While guidelines for preventing and managing surgical site infections in hospitals are in place in many countries there is still a need for guidance on how to deal with SSI management and prevention in community care. EWMA has therefore decided to focus on surgical site infections (SSI).

The main objectives of the EWMA SSI project are to:

• Map the SSI incidence, prevalence and high risk areas, based on published information and data available from SSI-registries.
• Present the available modern techniques for prevention and treatment of surgical site infections, including assessment of cost effectiveness, patient mobility, pain etc.
• Provide best practice recommendations for SSI management and prevention in hospitals and community care.

Advanced Therapies in Wound Management

EWMA aims to produce a document focusing the possibilities of advanced therapies in the next generation of wound management, as well as the potential barriers for their use. As advanced therapies, this document will include the following therapies and technologies:

• Techniques associated with the clinical discipline of regenerative medicine, including: Cellular therapies, tissue engineering and tissue substitutes

• Physical therapies, such as light, magnetism, chock waves, and electricity

• Sensors and software, e.g. supporting automatic wound monitoring

The document will include a literature review as well as expert opinions on the opportunities related to implementation of these therapies into clinical practice.