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Aim: Wounds cost Australia nearly $3 billion a year. The aim of this study was to understand the barriers and facilitators to wound dressing selection amongst community nurses in Australia. Method: A series of semi-structured interviews (n=13) were conducted amongst nurses with experience in treating individuals with wounds (including hard-to-heal wounds). The interviews were transcribed and de-identified, then thematic analysis performed to identify key themes and subthemes. Results / Discussion: Four major themes influencing dressing selection were identified: • Industry support of clinicians • Clinician knowledge and experience • Approach to patient care • Cost and availability. Community nurses broadly agreed education and communications from wound dressing companies (suppliers) was clear, and that sales representatives were accessible for product-related information. However, adoption of supplier-provided recommendations was inconsistent within community settings. This was perceived to be due to low levels of wound management knowledge among more generalist nursing roles and lack of standardised protocols. Participants expressed that this could lead to occasional inappropriate dressing use. Lack of staff continuity across different wound services was also reported to result in inconsistent wound-management and poorer patient outcomes. Cost was implicated as a major barrier to several types of dressings, thus higher cost dressings were often not used. Conclusion: This work shows that suppliers of wound dressings clearly articulate information regarding the applications of their products. However, dressings cost may prohibit use. Dissemination of product information can be variable with some nurses not interested in current educational offerings. While the issue of cost of dressings is difficult to address, wound dressing suppliers should consider approaches to increase the reach of their communications to community nurses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Online professional-education provided by industry is a key source of information for wound-care practitioners. Traditionally, this education has been delivered didactically, either face-to-face or online. A method often referred to as 'chalk-and-talk'. Accompanying visual resources, such as PowerPoint presentations inevitably have to be adapted to accommodate language preferences in individual markets. Current evidence suggests that adults learn better by building on their own experiences. Problem-based-learning (PBL) is a method where learners construct their own knowledge through identifying, analysing and solving real-world problems. This enables learners to acquire new knowledge which they can easily translate into clinical practice. Harnessing the popularity of Japanese Manga-style cartoons, the aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a visual PBL resource which could be deployed in any of the 100+ markets in which the commissioning client, an advanced wound-care company, has commercial activity. Method: Five wound-related case-scenarios were developed as Japanese style Manga cartoons (Figure 1). Each fortnight, participants collaborated in 45 minute online-discussions guided by four experts, where assessment, management and evaluation options for the scenario were discussed. Data was collected from the participants at the conclusion of the series using online polling. Results / Discussion: Analysis of feedback from participants (n=208) showed that >90% reported increased confidence in wound management. >95% agreed that PBL is an enjoyable way to learn. Conclusion: PBL is a novel and effective method of delivering professional education which can be deployed in many markets. Successful implementation of cartoon PBL represents a paradigm-shift in industry led wound education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]