Learning survey: assessment and management of the patient with wounds

The aim was to explore how the management and assessment of the patient with skin lesions (SL) is actually carried out in the Italian territory by identifying: the methods used for the evaluation; whether and how the care pathway is currently documented; the ability and training level of the operators involved; how much the operator perceives the need of having a specific guide tool. The study was carried out through a consultation focused on the nursing profession, developed with the help of a dedicated and validated questionnaire, with printed and online distribution (1200 questionnaires) on a survey sample of 726 questionnaires. The profile of the involved population is: 71% female gender, 54% over forty, 84% nurse, 16% Wound Care Specialist (WS) nurse, 63% working in hospital, 13% making 21-100 dressings every 15 days. As regards the use of scientific documentations, it emerges that: 53% of professionals does not use standardized documentation, but, as prevalent tools, they use medical records and delivery diary; 18.60% does not document the activities and does not use rating scales. It also appears that: 65% does not evaluate the lesion and 78% does not evaluate the wound bed, 94% does not evaluate the nutritional status of the patient, 93% expressed the requirement to have a tool to guide and document the evaluation and management of SL. Only 59% knows the territorial services dedicated to the care of the SL and the 70% is aware of the existence of the University Master's degree. The bad practice of not carrying out the risk assessment, the assessment of the lesion and the nutritional status has therefore been rooted. In the light of the emerged data, the situation found is incompatible with an effective health system and the quality and appropriateness of interventions for the treatment of people with skin lesions at all levels are compromised.