Wound Healing Assessment Chart: Developing a Structured Wound Measurement Tool

Running Header; WOUND HEALING ASSESSMENT CHART.
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WOUND HEALING ASSESSMENT CHART.
Student’s name
Institutional affiliation
Course name
Date

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Introduction
Skin is the largest organ of the body. It makes up to 16% of the body’s weight. It serves
several vital functions: immune function, temperature regulation sensation, synthesis of vitamin
D. The skin is a dynamic organ that is constantly changing. It constantly sheds off and gets
replaced by the inner layer. A wound develops when the skin tissue gets damaged by trauma.
This compromises its functioning (Menna, 2017). Wound assessment plays an important role in
wound management as it facilitates in identifying factors that may be preventing wounds from
healing. However, wound assessments are often subjective and is practitioner reliant, the
information collected can vary dependent on skill and education of the individual. In wound
assessment consistency can be difficult as assessments such as pain, size of the wound, exudate
and odor can vary between clinicians (Fletcher, 2007). A structured wound measurement tool
can remove imprecise terms and measurement techniques.
This assignment will focus on developing a wound assessment chart. This charts’
appropriateness will be described in terms of the workplace, the patient group and the size of the
work setting. Secondly, a description of the professional group working at the setting and its
consideration in developing the chart. Thirdly, a justification of developing the wound
assessment chart. Fourthly, consideration of the documentation, can it stand by its own or is it
part of the hospital. Fifthly, ensure that the chart is user friendly. Sixthly, come up with a
rationale of the inclusion and the exclusion of each characteristic when developing the chart.
That is a discuss on the inclusion and exclusion criteria of a wound assessment chart used in a
private podiatry practice (Krasner, 1992). Lastly, a summary of the assignment.

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The professional team.
Podiatrist treat foot and lower limb conditions including diabetic and foot ulcers (QUT
website). Podiatrists in a multidisciplinary team are involved in primary prevention and
management of diabetes related foot complications including foot ulcers (Lazzarini, 2014).
Evidence has shown that early prevention, education for patient and staff, treatment from a
multidisciplinary team can reduce amputation rates by 49-85% (Andrews, Houdek, & Kiemele,
2015). Management strategies that are often implemented by podiatrist include sharps
debridement, dressing changes and offloading the pressures on the wounded foot (Gibson et al,
2013). A variation of disciplines makes up a multidisciplinary team, those involved typically are
vascular surgeons, endocrinologist, orthopaedic surgeons, nurse specialist, podiatrist and
orthotists (Buggy & Moore, 2017). It is therefore important to have a reliable assessment tool
with consistent language to assist in the share care and collaboration of health professionals.
New chart/improving on existing chart
The Queensland High Risk Foot Form (QHRFF) was a tool developed to capture risk
factors, assess foot wounds, and analyse patient outcomes in a hospital setting. The QHRFF
assessment tool showed majority of the criteria to be moderate in validity and reliability,
however, the authors states that a systematic literature review was not performed and was limited
to podiatrists only to test the inter-reliability of the tool.
For podiatrist in private clinics, often working on their own and can be limited with time
and funding an assessment tool was improved to suit their needs. The assessment tool needed to
be time efficient and had instruction on how to assess high risk foot, improve so as to suit private

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practice, stand on its on in documentation and have instructions on how to use the chart
(Greatrix-White & Moxey 2015).
The wound healing assessment chart.
Greatrix-White & Moxey (2015) study reported that nurses are not confident in
developing a wound management plan and executing it out. The study suggested that for best
practice in wound management, nurses required a structured assessment tool and educational
guidelines with a clear guideline.
The inclusion/exclusion
Patient’s details/ medical history
The primary/basic level in contact with the patient, the patient’s details are important in
identification purpose. They match the patient and the wound assessment to be done. Secondly,
the wound assessment is a holistic assessment and in order to ensure that its holistic the patients
detail and condition are important. The patient’s comorbidities that could affect the wound
healing should be recorded. This will allow the healthcare to put them into consideration when
planning their wound management (Menna, 2017).
The site and the size of the wound.
Grey et al., (2006) identification and recording the wound site is important, especially if
there is more than one area of skin breakdown. In addition to this, the site of wound is important
in the diagnosis of an underlying ailment that could be associated with the wound development.