Core Curriculum for Fellowships in Wound Care

Goals:

Development of a physician with skills needed to identify and treat typical and atypical wounds sent in the community apply plan of care and educate patients

  1. Recognize and understand the pathophysiology of normal and abnormal healing
  2. Understand and address the multifactorial nature of wounds not only for healing but also to prevent recurrence
Core Curriculum:
  1. Arterial Wounds
    1. Diagnosis and pathophysiology of arterial ulcers
    2. Appropriate timing and indications of wound healing technologies, medical and surgical treatments for arterial ulcers
  2. Venous Ulcers
    1. Diagnosis and pathophysiology of venous ulcers, coagulation cascade, DVT and venous thromboembolism
    2. Identification and treatment (or proper referral for treatment) of contributing factors
    3. Appropriate timing and treatment including compression therapies, wound dressings, advanced technologies, medical and surgical interventions
  3. Lymphedema
    1. Diagnose and understand etiologies, risk factors and pathophysiology of lymphedema
    2. Identify a wound with concurrent lymphatic function
    3. Management of lymphedema with complex decongestive therapy and treatment of comorbidities and risk factors.
    4. Reconstructive options
  4. Pressure Ulcers
    1. Understand pathophysiology, epidemiology, prevention guidelines of pressure ulcers
    2. Understand risk factors, staging, management
    3. Know wound bed preparation
    4. Understand medico legal implications
  5. Diabetic Foot Ulcer
    1. Diagnosis and pathophysiology of neuropathic ulcers
    2. Recognition and understanding of charcot arthropathy, osteomyelitis, vascular assessment and medical and surgical options
    3. Know the choice of orthotics and offloading option and techniques
  6. Wound Infection
    1. Understand the biochemistry of wound bioburden, wound and microbe interaction, wound infection and inflammation
    2. Diagnosing wound infection and osteomyelitis and treatment options
  7. Other
    1. Nutrition and other host factors contributing to healing of wounds
    2. Atypical wound diagnosis and treatment options
    3. Principles of physical medicine and rehabilitation to improve function and quality of life of patients with chronic wounds
    4. Procedural competencies in surgical wound debridements, advanced technologies in wound diagnostics, new and cutting edge wound therapies
    5. Proper documentation, regulatory and medico legal compliance
    6. Understanding evidence based research in wound healing and applying the correct evidence and guidelines to tailor standard and advanced wound management
    7. Patient safety
    8. Patient education
    9. Appropriate consultations for transdisciplinary approach for diagnosis and treatment