The Importance of Academic Medical Education in Pressure Ulcer Prevention, Treatment and Management

Abstract

Despite recent advances in health care, pressure ulcer-PrU still constitutes an important cause of morbidity and mortality and leads to relevant socioeconomic issues. The treatment of PrU is expensive and highly complex, so prevention plays a fundamental role in minimizing the occurrence and consequences of this disorder. To prevent and treat PrU effectively, health teams have to implement successful team work. Currently, prophylactic practices and the treatment of PrU are often delegated exclusively to health professionals other than physicians. It may culminate in higher prevalence of chronic PrUs and low solving of cases that require surgical procedures to promote wound healing more quickly, avoiding more serious complications. Few studies have been published raising the issue of the need to promote educational programs for physicians, especially in academic training for PrUs management. This article presents a narrative review of the literature on this problem and highlights the importance of this topic in academic medical education programs. Improved clinical practice demands educational measures that reinforce the need to have professionals with knowledge of PrU including graduation of medical schools. These measures should foster collaboration among health professionals and contribute to implementation of preventive actions and continuous treatment of more complex PrU.