Application to become a Multidisciplinary Joint Commitee Wound Healing UNION EUROPÉENNE DES MÉDECINS SPÉCIALISTES EUROPEAN UNION OF MEDICAL SPECIALISTS THEMATIC FEDERATION WOUND HEALING Application to become a Multidisciplinary Joint Commitee Wound Healing Prim. Prof. Dr. R. Strohal President TF Wound Healing Head, Dept. Dermatology and Venerology Federal Academic Teaching Hospital Feldkirch, Austria robert.strohal@lkhf.at

The Importance of Wound Healing in Europe Definition: The field deals with acute and chronic (no healing under therapy for 6 weeks) wounds Specifics: Wound Healing is an inter(multi)disciplinary medical competence jointly performed in an inter-professional way, i.e. very strong impact of nurses Facts: e.g. Austria: 250.000 wound patients, i.e. 5% of all house holds; 62.5 million (mio) dressing changes/per year; costs Euro 225.4 mio Facts EU: estimated number of 15.000.000 wound patients Only 30-40% of the patients receive an adequate, modern therapy

Thematic Federation Wound Healing Foundation: October 20th 2016 Brussels Composition: 18 delegates from 8 medical specialities and 1 delegate as representative of the only European Wound Healing Society (EWMA) Work done so far: Interdisciplinary and multinational survey on the situation of Wound Healing in Europe Position paper incl. a strategic road-map for politics Based on both activities described above drafted publication for a European Journal in the field to raise awareness Interdisciplinary discussions on the definition of the scope of work for the different specialties – work in progress (wip) First development of a basic curriculum and then ETR for physicians in Wound Healing fully approved by the TF delegates and their sections Definition of the infrastructure for wound centres - wip

Thematic Federation Wound Healing Results of all our activities: In all EU countries Wound Care represents for related physicians an integral and important part of their medical services

Thematic Federation Wound Healing Problems doctors: In 81% no specific Wound Healing curriculum is implemented in the general curricula of those specialties, which often deal with wounds In 83% of the countries there is not even a special national postgraduate programme on Wound Healing 46% of all countries do not hold interdisciplinary specialized wound centres The use of national guidelines is not the dominant standard Etc., etc., etc. Within the EU lack of structured, supra-national politics to promote and harmonize graduate and postgraduate training issues, medical practice, health care and science in the field of Wound Healing

Thematic Federation Wound Healing Problems nurses: In all EU countries nurses active in Wound Healing have a specific curriculum with governmental accreditation. In various EU countries this curriculum is academic even leading to PhD and Professor degrees in this field In all northern and various other EU countries wound nurses are allowed to diagnose, treat, prescribe and order Wound Healing devices There is a strong development in all EU countries, that physicians are loosing or already have lost their predominant leading role in the medical field of Wound Healing

The Medical Field of Wound Healing Inter(multi)disciplinary work that must be done within the UEMS (examples given): To promote and harmonize the highest level of training of the related medical specialists Founding of a UEMS European Board Wound Healing preparing, launching and performing UEMS EBSQ in Wound Healing Examinations Development and launch of a post-graduation teaching programme For Wound Healing the defense of the professional interests of European Medical Specialists Create a Working Group “Professional Policies” to define the scope of work physicians – nurses in this field Develop the tools needed to support the free movement of the related medical specialists within the EU Promotion and harmonization of the medical practice and scientific issues in the field of Wound Healing Create a Working Group “Guidelines” to promote, review and accredite EU guidelines Review and EACCME accreditation of European Wound Healing educational events (e.g. congresses). To date review by just a single Section Etc., etc., etc. NOT allowed for a Thematic Federation !

The Medical Field of Wound Healing According to the rules* of the UEMS to enable further fruitful work, we apply to change the Thematic Federation Wound Healing Multidisciplinary Joint Commitee Wound Healing for the sake of the medical field of Wound Healing, physicians in this field and our wound patients Thank you ! * UEMS document: Explanatory notes on the functioning of UEMS specialist sections, divisions, multidisciplinary joint committees, European board and the thematic federation, August 2013