1. 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

2. 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: wound patients, i.e. 5% of all house holds; 62.5 million (mio) dressing changes/per year; costs Euro mio
Facts EU: estimated number of wound patients
Only 30-40% of the patients receive an adequate, modern therapy

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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 !

8. 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