Document: Management of patients with Venous Leg Ulcers - Challenges and Current Best Practice

Project period: 2015–2017

EWMA and Wounds Australia have developed this document, aiming to highlight some of the barriers and facilitators related to implementation of VLU guidelines as well as provide clinical practice statements to overcome these and “fill the gaps” currently not covered by the majority of available guidelines.

The expert working committee responsible for this document is composed of health care professionals with different professional backgrounds and nationalities, to cover all aspects of VLU management and develop a document that takes the organisational differences across countries into consideration.

The document focus is leg ulcers of a venous origin. The authors of this document alert HCPs to the importance of a correct diagnosis of the type of ulcer being treated. Other types of leg ulcers are described to assist the HCP in determining arterial, mixed aetiology and atypical ulcers and when to consider referral.

Thus, the aim of this document is twofold:

To identify barriers and facilitators in the implementation of best practice in the management of a VLU
To provide clinical practice statements addressing key aspects to consider when developing an evidence- based leg ulcer service that enhances the patient journey.

Following the publication of the document, a dissemination and implementation programme will be initiated with the objective to plan and execute meetings with experts actively involved in leg ulcer treatment on national level. The aim of these meetings will be to address and seek solutions to the challenges related to organisation of treatment in a specific region or country.This activity will involve the Cooperating Organisations of EWMA.

Author group

Editors: Peter Franks (England) and Judith Barker (Australia)

Author group: Collier (England), Georgina Gethin (Ireland), Emily Haesler (Australia) Arkadiusz Jawien (Poland), Severin Läuchli (Switzerland), Giovanni Mosti (Italy), Sebastian Probst (Switzerland) and Carolina Weller (Australia)

Please contact the EWMA Secretariat for more information.