The American College Of Wound Healing and Tissue Repair Announces Open Registration for Second Annual Meeting

85% of Healthcare Professionals Surveyed at Last Year's Inaugural Meeting Believe Wound Care Should be a Medical Specialty

CHICAGO, July 10, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is being released by The American College Of Wound Healing and Tissue Repair:

WHAT: The American College Of Wound Healing and Tissue Repair (ACWHTR) Second Annual Meeting.

WHO: Multidisciplinary faculty of opinion leaders will address scientific breakthroughs, policy and regulatory issues facing the field and technological advances that will change the landscape of wound care.

WHY: The incidence of non-healing wounds is 5 to 7 million per year in the United States, resulting in an estimated $20 billion dollar cost to the healthcare system.

Healing problems can occur with any kind of wound, particularly in individuals who are gravely injured or have other health conditions. Certain wounds—diabetic, venous, arterial and pressure ulcers—are considered inherently difficult to heal and at risk of becoming chronic due to the underlying disease state or condition. The underlying conditions that most commonly lead to chronic wounds are diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure in the veins and immobility.

With an estimated 366 million diabetic patients projected to be diagnosed by 2030, we can expect an increasing number of patients with chronic non-healing wounds into the future. Similarly, with an aging society, it is also expected that there will be an increase in the number of surgical wounds, venous leg ulcerations, traumatic and immobility-associated wounds that will be at risk for non-healing.

Wound healing is a complex biological process that requires a multidisciplinary, coordinated care plan. Complicating the situation is the lack of formal education for physicians, nurses, therapists and all ancillary health care providers on the science and treatment of non-healing wounds. For example, physicians currently receive only limited formal education concerning the diagnosis and treatment of wounds in either their pre- or post-graduate medical education. Accordingly, there is a critical need for rigorous training, research, evidence-development and advocacy to improve outcomes of patients with non-healing wounds.

As wound care evolves to address the growing burden of chronic wounds, the need for formal specialization is increasingly important. This requirement was reinforced by the results of a multidisciplinary survey of 137 attendees at last year's inaugural ACWHTR meeting which found that, overall, 85% of respondents believe wound care should be its own medical specialty. The survey also identified the top three challenges facing wound healing and prevention as:

1. Lack of well-trained clinicians;
2. Lack of coordinated care;
3. Patient (non-)compliance.

This year's ACWHTR meeting will highlight the latest developments in the creation of a medical subspecialty in wound healing and tissue repair through curriculum-based fellowship programs. In addition, the meeting will further contribute to the organization's objectives of: (a) generating awareness of the problem of non-healing wounds, while helping to foster research and advance the development of new technologies; (b) promoting access to effective and appropriate therapies for all patients; and (c) providing the leadership and education for the wound care clinicians of the future.

WHERE: Swissotel, 323 East Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois

WHEN: Thursday, July 26th – Saturday, July 28th, 2012

CONTACT: To register for the meeting, please visit:
https://www.signup4.net/Public/ap.aspx?EID=SAEM11E 
or call 866-924-7929.

About The American College of Wound Healing and Tissue Repair

The American College of Wound Healing and Tissue Repair (ACWHTR) is committed to advancing the field of wound care through education, research and advocacy. The College fosters the training of medical professionals including physicians, podiatrists, nurses and physical therapists in the field of wound care. The goal of this organization is to designate wound care as a board-certified medical specialty. ACWHTR is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Chicago, Illinois.

Please visit the American College of Wound Healing and Tissue Repair website for more information: http://www.acwhtr.org

SOURCE American College of Wound Healing and Tissue Repair

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