Wound experts ICW® and the care of acute and chronic wounds
Interview with André Deffte, Wound Expert ICW®, BA Health and Social Management, AWO Oberhausen, Germany
On the occasion of the nationwide CWAD Chronic Wound Awareness Day, we talk to André Deffte, wound expert ICW® about wound care in Germany.
What is behind the designation Wound Expert ICW®?
The term stands for a precisely defined qualification in wound care. The Chronic Wound Initiative (ICW), which grants this additional qualification, is dedicated to prevention and therapy in people with chronic wounds. Nursing professionals have the opportunity to specialise here.
Wound care is still a very sensitive topic in Germany. Many professionals are not properly prepared in this area due to this not being a priority topic in training. Specialisation in wound care is a very important quality improvement in nursing. Due to better wound care, a higher level of satisfaction among the residents / patients is also measurable. This has also been proven by studies.
The ICW is an initiative that has significantly increased the quality of wound care in Germany. The ICW not only works in the field of continued education, but also appears in public, e.g. with action days and patient information on the subject of wounds. Neutrality is important. The quality of the courses is monitored in cooperation with TÜV. The certification body is responsible for the content. Due to the good structure and review of the individual offers, a very high qualitative and quantitative breadth is guaranteed by the ICW.
Why is this additional qualification becoming more and more important?
The care of people with diabetes and wounds is becoming increasingly important and complex. The fields of expertise of doctors and nurses complement each other. A good interface is often missing here.
The wound expert ICW® can contribute its knowledge here in a targeted manner and advise in order to ensure optimal individual care. Many general practitioners are not familiar with all aspects of modern wound care and are then happy to let the experts advise them on the right decision. This benefits everyone: The patients, the medical profession, the nursing staff and ultimately also the health insurance companies.
Furthermore, with regard to the last point, an enormous economic saving can be seen if a wound is treated properly from the beginning.
This year, for the first time, the ICW is announcing the CWAD Chronic Wound Awareness Day. What exactly is it about?
This day, 13 July, aims to draw attention to people with chronic wounds. The main topic in 2022 is “diabetic foot ulcers”.
Foot ulcers are a frequent long-term consequence of diabetes. About a quarter of all diabetic patients develop such foot ulcers. Proper shoe fitting with special therapeutic shoes or heel floats is a very important element of the prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers. Especially a good use of devices additionally increases the quality of life of the residents / patients.
Which aspects are particularly important to you in this context?
Avoid pressure ulcerations, support healing!
This is best achieved in close cooperation with all those involved: The physicians, the nursing service, the associations, the family members and of course the product specialists. This is the only way to establish new concepts and effective solution options for doctors and patients and to enable optimal treatment. The focus is on increasing the patient’s quality of life.
As a product specialist, DARCO has established a very helpful guideline for diabetes and wound care in the diabetic foot. This is easy to understand and provides good information on the area of supply of appropriate devices.
> Go to DARCO diabetes catalogue with guide
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