Reducing variation in leg ulcer assessment and management using quality improvement methods (Dowsett, 2018)

Dowsett, Caroline and Taylor, Carole. 

Wounds UK 2018;14(4): 46-51. 

Request online at this link 

The NHS is facing significant financial and operational pressures, with services struggling to deliver high-quality care due to increasing demands and limited resources (Dowsett, 2016; McKenna, 2018). Now, more than ever, local and national NHS service leaders and services need to focus on improving the quality of care provided, reducing variation and delivering better-value care (NHS England, 2017). Improving quality is about making healthcare safe, effective, patient-centred, timely, efficient and equitable (Department of Health [DH], 2016). In terms of leg ulcer care, this means ensuring patients receive evidence-based leg ulcer assessments and treatments to ensure their leg ulcer heals in an optimum timeframe and that they have a good experience of their care (Wounds UK, 2016). Improving leg ulcer healing not only benefits the patient but also the health economy with costs reducing when complications are prevented and the patient's leg ulcers heal in a shorter timeframe (NHS RightCare, 2017). This paper outlines a project that focused on improving venous leg ulcer (VLU) assessment and management for housebound patients, using quality improvement (QI) methods.