NEWS BRIEFS
NEWS BRIEFS
AAWM completes CWS candidate reviews
The credentials committee of the American Academy of Wound Management (AAWM) received a record 160 portfolios in its last quarterly final review of candidates for board certification. Past quarterly reviews typically involved review of 80 to 100 portfolios. The almost 100% increase in completed portfolios submitted for review is probably related to the end of certification by portfolio effective at the end of this month, according to AAWM administrative director Mike Freedman.
Candidates who want to become board-certified in wound management via the portfolio method have just one more opportunity. Completed portfolios submitted by June 30, 1999, will be reviewed during a credentials committee meeting in July. That meeting will span two days and involve additional AAWM volunteers who are expected to review more than 250 portfolios.
For all those who apply for board certification after June 30, certification will only be achieved via a passing score on the National Board Certification Examination. The first exam is scheduled for Oct. 4 in Denver during the 14th Clinical Symposium on Wound Management. Certified Wound Specialists also will field-test the exam via the Internet. AAWM recently signed an agreement with Intralearn (www.intralearn.com) to help develop and host an on-line version of the exam for field testing.
More than 100 current Certified Wound Specialists have volunteered to help with the development of the National Board Certification Examination. The response followed a letter requesting assistance from AAWM examination committee chair Liza Ovington, PhD. AAWM will field-test its exam in Anaheim, CA, during the Health Management Publications Wound Care Conference. About 25 certified wound specialists will take portions of the test to help AAWM determine relevancy and efficacy of questions.
Is drug industry Y2K-OK?
According to a recent Medline report, the pharmaceutical industry is Y2K-prepared. Alan F. Homer, president of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), says the pharmaceutical industry has extensive experience in getting medicines to where they are needed in time of crisis, such as sites of hurricanes, fires, other natural disasters, and military conflicts. Homer says his organization anticipates no interruption in the supply of medicines due to Y2K problems, but notes that "success in meeting the Y2K challenge depends not only on our industry, but on other links in the supply chain and on doctors, hospitals, insurers and — not least of all — patients themselves. Hoarding and stockpiling by patients could create a greater threat to the supply of medicines than any computer glitch."
A recent survey of member companies by PhRMA found that all of the companies responding, including most of the top 20 research-based pharmaceutical firms, have a Y2K plan in place and are developing contingency plans to ensure the continuous supply of medicines to patients. All of the companies have completed an inventory of their equipment containing embedded chips and are taking corrective action where needed.
British wound partnership puts articles on-line
The Surgical Materials Testing Laboratory (SMTL) at the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend, UK, and the Tissue Viability Society (TVS) have announced their new partnership. In return for SMTL hosting and maintaining the TVS Web site, the TVS will make available selected articles from the Journal of Tissue Viability to be published on-line in World Wide Wounds, the on-line journal published by the SMTL. The first of these articles, "Morphological Character istics of the Dermal Papillae in the Development of Pressure Sores," is now available at: http://www. smtl.co.uk/World Wide Wounds/1999/march/Hiromi-Arao/Dermal-Papillae.htm.
New wound dressing uses high-glycerine gel
Southwest Technologies, manufacturer of Elasto-Gel wound care products as well as pressure relief and hot/cold therapy products, has introduced a new sterile toe and wound dressing that incorporates a high-glycerine gel pad attached to a T-shaped water-resistant adhesive. The manufacturer says the bacteriostatic and fungistatic properties of Toe-Aid help control fungus under the toenail. If the toenail has been removed, Toe-Aid will not stick to or dissolve into the wound. Contact Southwest Technologies, 1746 Levee Road, North Kansas City, MO 64116. Telephone: (816) 221-2442.
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