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04SCIENCE, PRACTICE AND EDUCATION DOI: 10.35279/jowm202110.04 Survey of physicians’ and nurses’ needs and expectations regarding a multidisciplinary wound clinic Majchrzak, Karine 1 , Bobbink, Paul 2 , Probst, Sebastian 2,3,4 1 La Tour Hospital, Meyrin, Switzerland 2 HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland, Geneva, Switzerland 3 University Hospital Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland 4 Faculty of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia Correspondence: Karine.majchrzak@latour.ch · Conflicts of interest: None Keywords: Wound care; chronic wounds; multidisciplinary team; health services ABSTRACT Aim To describe needs and expectations from health- care professionals while setting up a multidisciplinary wound clinic. Methods An online survey was conducted in a 190-bed hos- pital in Western Switzerland from the 2nd to 15th of June 2020. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data. Results A total of 166 healthcare professionals (118 nurses, 48 physicians) participated in the survey. Half of the participants (48%) saw the importance of setting up a wound clinic as 47% were taking care of wounds daily. Almost all participants (83 %) disclosed having no educational wound care background and half of them (54%) indicated having no skills and knowl- edge in wound management. The main aetiologies treated in a specialist center should be diabetic foot, leg and pressure ulcers, then malignant wounds. It is expected a specialist clinic cares for complex or non- healing wounds. Furthermore, 48% of participants wished a multidisciplinary expert approach with a common protocol to guarantee a continuity of care. The wound center should also have an educational role, essential in maintaining up-to-date practice. Conclusions and implications for clinical practice In conclusion, a wound clinic should have a mul- tidisciplinary specialist approach while ensuring evidence-based and uniform practices to provide a person-centered care. Furthermore, further-educa- tion must be offered. INTRODUCTION Providing better care for patients with chronic wounds is a challenge to healthcare professionals. Wounds affect a large proportion of the population in developed countries, with an incidence rate reach- ing as high as 2%. 1,2 In the United Kingdom, the annual costs devoted to wound care are estimated to be £8.3 billion 3 , as care is complex, patient-centred and usually provided by a dedicated team. 4,5 A multidisciplinary team approach is crucial when treating wounds, and doing so implies a reliance on knowledge and expertise from different special- ties. 6 This approach is beneficial to the patient, the healthcare provider and the health institution. 5 For example, studies have shown that multidisciplinary care provided to patients suffering from diabetic foot ulcers resulted in positive outcomes with reduced amputation and death rates, shorter-length hospi- tal stays, increased quality of life and better healing rates. 7,8 JOURNAL OF WOUND MANAGEMENT OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN WOUND MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION  21Page 2