Wounds Canada is dedicated to giving a voice to patients living with wounds or at risk for wounds in order to ensure that people living with wounds receive improved care and face fewer barriers to a healthier life.
The goals of advocacy at Wounds Canada include:
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Raising the profile of the issues surrounding wounds in Canada
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Presenting a unified voice for approaching governments when seeking policy change and resource allocation
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Leveraging opportunities and relationships to achieve positive policy change at all levels
The Issues
The current focus on health care in most jurisdictions in Canada is on treatment, not prevention. In the case of wounds, the most cost-effective and lowest personal impact hierarchy should be:
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Prevent all preventable wounds
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Prevent all existing wounds from becoming complex and/or chronic
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Move all chronic wounds onto a healing trajectory
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Improve and maintain a good quality of life for patients with unhealable wounds
Successfully addressing the issues will be achieved through education, ongoing consultations with partnering organizations, stakeholder engagement and advocacy efforts with the public and decision makers in institutions and agencies and at all levels of government. As Canada’s only national wound organization that addresses the interests of all stakeholders in the area of wound care, Wounds Canada will provide leadership and co-ordination in these areas.
Health leaders can assist in these efforts by becoming aware of the issues, raising the priority of wound prevention and best-practiced-based care and participating in Wounds Canada events and projects.
Activities
Wound Prevention and Care Must Be a Priority for All Governments Across Canada
Wound care has been a problem in all health-care settings in Canada for a long time. The COVID-19 pandemic has made the existing challenges worse, particularly in long-term care. The recent reports by the Canadian military about the conditions they encountered in long-term care facilities in Ontario and Quebec highlight some of the issues and adds urgency to the need to make changes. As a long-time advocate for the health of all Canadians, Wounds Canada has stepped up its activity in urging governments to address the wound-related challenges that have been brought to general public awareness because of COVID-19. The links below connect to documents related to this recent activity.
May 29, 2020 Letter to Government of Ontario urging action on improving care in long-term care facilities
Wounds Canada (under the banner of the Canadian Association of Wound Care and with its subsidiary organization Diabetic Foot Canada) teamed with several other partnering organizations to begin a campaign to address gaps in the prevention of diabetic foot complications. As a first step, legislators in Ontario received information that outlines the issues and offers suggestions for improvement that not only will save health-care dollars but also save the health, and in many cases, the lives of persons at risk for diabetic foot ulcers. Plans are to continue these efforts across the country over the next two years.
Quebec: A Positive Response from the Health Minister
On February 13th, Wounds Canada, in collaboration with CAET and RQSP, sent a letter to the Minister of Health of Quebec. Together, we raised concern for the potential closing of the clinique des plaies complexes de l'hôtel-Dieu de Lévis. This interprofessional wound care clinic provides essential, cost-effective patient care and an effective net cost-savings to the healthcare system. On April 18th, the Minister’s office replied requesting a face-to-face meeting with Wounds Canada and one of the Minister’s staff members.To view our letter, click here.
Ontario: A Powerful and Unified Message about Diabetic Foot Care
Wounds Canada / Diabetic Foot Canada and several other partnering organizations have been trying to change an overlooked health care issue - Diabetic Foot Care. We joined forces with Diabetes Canada, CAET, RNAO and a total of 47 individuals representing over two dozen organizations have come forward to support this initiative. A letter delivered to Premier Kathleen Wynne, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care Dr. Eric Hoskins, and Deputy Minister of Health and Long-Term Care Dr. Bob Bell on the issue of Diabetic Foot Care. To view our letter, click here.
Wounds Canada representatives also work behind the scenes at all levels of government to improve policies that will support Canadians at risk for developing a wound or developing complications in existing wounds.
To view any media releases: click here.
Seeeking Patient Feedback: Health Quality Ontario is reviewing Leg Compression Therapy for venous insufficiency and venous ulcers. More... ( en francais)