Preconference Workshops Offer Exciting New Sessions

Sharpen your knowledge and skills by enrolling in preconference workshops that will be held prior to the main events of the 29th annual Clinical Symposium on Advances in Skin & Wound Care at The Mirage Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada. Preconference workshops will be held September 27 to 28, and the main conference will be held September 28 to October 1, 2014.

This year's agenda offers a variety of preconference topics, including a 1.5-day "Comprehensive Wound Care Review Course," which is endorsed by the American Professional Wound Care Association. This course offers an intensive and focused curriculum that is designed to prepare wound care clinicians to successfully attain certification via any of the available examinations. Wound assessment, healing physiology, nutrition, advanced modalities, and acute and chronic wound healing algorithms for all types of wounds including arterial, venous, diabetic, and pressure ulcers, as well as surgical and atypical wounds, will be covered.

In the intensive "Off-loading and Compression" workshop, faculty will begin with didactic lectures that will cover the initial evaluation and diagnosis of diabetic lower-extremity wounds. Treatment considerations and adjunctive modalities, as well as clinical practice guidelines, will be discussed. Attendees also will have hands-on practice in applying a contact cast.

Participants in the "Driving Documentation to Payment: 7 Rules for a Compliant Wound Care Department" workshop will be able to identify the 7 rules for a compliant wound care department; understand the importance of mapping workflow into clinical, operational, regulatory, and economic processes; and determine the accuracy of their documentation to ensure medical necessity.

For clinicians who work with patients in wheelchairs, "Seating and Wheeled Mobility Priorities: Individualizing Pressure Ulcer Risk and Prevention Strategies" is a preconference offering. This workshop will discuss the impact of long-term wheelchair use related to health outcomes, translate research into design and function, and determine cushion adequacy, positioning abilities of cushions, long-term impact of sitting, and seating solutions.

For those who have questions about selecting the appropriate wound dressing, the workshop on "Optimizing the Use of Dressings, What's Best for My Patients?" has the answers. Features of this half-day event include decision-making skills in the appropriate selection of wound care products, identifying characteristics of specific wound types, and practicing hands-on skills therapy.

Visit http://www.symposiumonwoundcare.com for complete conference and registration information and the attendee brochure.

See you in Vegas!

Kathleen A. Greaves

Senior Managing Editor

Advances in Skin & Wound Care