Events
count in wound care can help implement the highest quality of care at a local level, in Europe and beyond. SG: The theme also reflects the ethos of the Society of Tissue Viability – we believe that skin health and wound healing are everyone’s business, and that change happens when we work together, not in silos. This collaboration helps turn ideas into action. I think, historically, wound care in the UK has been seen as a nursing responsibility, but I’m pleased to say that this is changing as more healthcare professionals recognise their own role, particularly in wound prevention. Where it works best is when we have professional groups who have broken down boundaries and work collaboratively to instil the changes required for better patient outcomes. This approach creates improved job satisfaction and provides inspiration for those new to healthcare who hopefully may be the wound care experts of the future!
In 2023, EWMA had one of its most successful conferences. How do you plan to exceed last year’s experience? KI: Each year after the conference, we evaluate it and ask ourselves, ‘How can we make this even better?’ A EWMA 2023 survey showed that 97 percent of participants found that the conference met or exceeded their expectations. More than 96 percent of healthcare professionals who participated in the survey said that they would use their newly gained knowledge in their practice weekly or even more often. We go through all the feedback received carefully and aim to be better every year. This is a must for us — to improve, develop and serve the whole wound care community better. That being said, we always aim to raise the bar by offering new initiatives or session themes. SG: Most wound care nurses find deep meaning in their jobs. They are very competent and are invaluable to their teams. The conference will aim to highlight the many good stories and examples of the work wound care nurses do and how they feel about their work. I believe there are many examples of excellent wound care being provided across the UK that often go unnoticed. We want to capture these good news stories and celebrate the fantastic work that healthcare clinicians are doing to prevent and manage wounds. This also provides an opportunity for other delegates to learn from these examples and take ideas back to their own areas of practice. I’ve learnt so much from other people over the years, and a conference like EWMA is a fantastic platform for sharing ideas. Why reinvent the wheel if someone else has done it for you? KI: Check out EWMA’s new stage – the ‘EWMA Arena’ – in the exhibition area. Here, you can attend short scientific talks, see updates and recommendations and meet-the-experts panels. The stage will also host the industry new technologies sessions. KI: In line with EWMA’s recently established sustainable development objectives, EWMA promotes sustainability
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in several areas of wound care to address the major challenges of today. Sustainability in wound care encompasses several approaches and aspects: early diagnostics and access to multidisciplinary care, high- level education, evidence-based medicine, rethinking sustainable ways of everyday work and inclusivity and equality. A session will be dedicated to sustainability in wound care – check the programme for details. Further, throughout the venue, participants will notice an increased focus on sustainability reflected in many aspects of the conference’s ‘hardware’, such as biodegradable cutlery, reusable signage and so on.
Why has EWMA chosen the UK and London as its conference destination for 2024? KI: The UK has one of the highest educational levels among nurses, and together we can empower people with the knowledge and skills they need to solve skin and wound challenges. Furthermore, EWMA has always had strong ties to the Society of Tissue Viability, with whom we have collaborated before. London is an excellent conference destination, as it is well connected to the world, which makes it an accessible and fitting destination for EWMA 2024.
Why did the Society of Tissue Viability decide to partner with EWMA for this conference? SG: We have collaborated with EWMA before with great success, both face-to-face, in 2015, and virtually, in 2020, so it was natural for us to build upon this positive relationship. We are very excited about the programme for EWMA 2024 and are dedicated to the planning of our own Society of Tissue Viability stream, as well as special tracks and sessions for the Wound Research Network (WReN), healthcare students and community healthcare professionals.
What can you say to convince any of your members who are still undecided about attending the conference? SG: Some of our members will not have had the opportunity to attend EWMA before, so having it held in London will hopefully make it more accessible to people. The scale of this conference, compared to other wound care conferences, is immense, but don’t let this put you off. With size comes opportunity and choice. The Society’s own programme is being delivered alongside the main EWMA conference, and there will definitely be something of interest to you and the role you have in wound care. All sessions are independent of commercial interest, and we have a line-up of nationally respected, extremely credible speakers. Our membership is multidisciplinary, so whether you’re a nurse, podiatrist, therapist, doctor, educator or researcher, this conference will inspire you and you’ll leave with new ideas and new friends. ●
Practical Patient Care /
www.practical-patient-care.com
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