AAWC Update

AAWC Patient/Caregiver Advocacy Campaign Continues

  William J. Ennis, DO, MBA (AAWC Past President) announced the launch of the “AAWC Patient/ Caregiver Advocacy Campaign” to approximately 2,100 attendees at the Opening Ceremony of SAWC Spring 2010 last April. The purpose of the campaign is to increase patient and lay-caregiver membership within the Association for the Advancement of Wound Care in order to elevate the importance and availability of the patient voice in the multidisciplinary approach to wound care.

  AAWC’s patient efforts were developed by the AAWC Patient/Caregiver Advocacy Committee, newly named AAWC WIN (“Wounds in Need”) Committee, with support from staff. All AAWC patient members (or those lay-caregivers who will join on a patient’s behalf) will receive all of the same benefits of membership given to clinician members and others. Patient-specific benefits will be developed over time with input from the new patient membership through an organized strategic planning initiative led by the AAWC WIN Committee.

  Periodic educational emails will be sent to patients/lay-caregivers regarding basic and effective wound care. Topics will include sometimes forgotten elements of care, such as nutrition, mental health or smoking cessation.

  A primary objective of developing this segment of membership is to create an organized, collective, singular voice for patients in order to inform and influence governmental and regulatory entities, including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and insurance companies as well as the media and others. This effort by the AAWC to support patients with a specific need (in this case proper wound care) and bring them together in unified fashion is not unlike the efforts of the American Cancer Society and other societies with specific patient-focused initiatives.

  In addition to this effort, the AAWC has recently launched its newly developed AAWC Patient Resource Center at the AAWC website, www.aawconline.org. This site is a work in progress and will soon undergo a complete reconstruction in concert with the entire AAWC website. Open to the public (with disclaimer language), the patient/caregiver area of the website allows patients and caregivers to participate in a blog where they are able to share experiences and provide encouragement and hope to each other. The site also will continue to include an increasing amount of wound care information and education in layman’s terms to advance patient understanding regarding proper wound care, best practices, and how to ensure their optimal care.

  For a limited time, FREE patient/lay-caregiver memberships are available! Anyone with general questions or comments, or anyone who wishes to sponsor a patient or caregiver member with a FREE membership, can email Patient_Advocacy@aawconline.org for more information. To be eligible, the patient or patient’s personal caregiver need only support the mission of AAWC.

Become a fan of AAWC Advocacy for Patients and Caregivers on Facebook. Joining Facebook is free if you are not already a member. The AAWC has FREE patient/lay-caregiver memberships available for a limited time! Email patient_advocacy@aawconline.org for more information.