Disparities in wound care: Part 1 physiologic, social, and environmental etiologic mechanisms for disparate wound outcomes. Final report of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Wound Care (DEIWC) Task Force of the Association for the Advancement of...

What is it about?

Significant progress has been made in the treatment of wounds, including knowledge of evidence-based wound bed preparation and use of advanced therapies to enhance healing. Yet access to these improved outcomes is not equitably distributed across populations.1 In early 2022, to tackle this issue, the Board of Directors of the Association for the Advancement of Wound Care (AAWC) created the multidisciplinary Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Wound Care (DEIWC) task force. The DEIWC task force was charged to address three aims: 1) examine the complex issue of disparities in wound care and provide unified recommendations for wound care clinicians, 2) identify technological approaches and best practices for skin and wound assessment, and 3) investigate disparities in pressure injuries. Three approaches were used by the DEIWC task force: comprehensive literature review (Aim 1 and 2); systematic review (Aim 3); critical review with consensus by experts (all aims). This is the final report of the task force for Aim 1. The purpose of this report is to provide an overview on the etiologic mechanisms of disparities that exist in wound care that impact the complex wounds that clinicians treat and actions for wound care clinicians that may decrease disparities and improve inclusivity in wound care.

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