Problems and costs that could be addressed by improved burn and wound care training in health professions education

Abstract

The current system of burn care delivery attempts to meet the needs of the nearly 500 000 patients in the United States who require medical treatment annually. However, specialization of care and lack of fundamental burn and wound care knowledge among graduating medical trainees has unintended consequences, leaving the system inefficient, with inherent inequities in care delivery and with the potential to be overwhelmed in a mass casualty event. While increasing accessibility to specialty burn centers through technology could mitigate some of these problems, increased education is more practical. The implementation of a formal wound care curriculum in medical school would address the problems associated with chronic wounds in the United States. Additionally, this curriculum would be a natural extension of exposure to the basics of burn care, a relevant skill set in any specialty.