CAWC Poster re-edit

I have gone back to update the poster Demystifying Ankle Brachial Pressure Index with the use of a blog

It is funny to re-edit something written in 2009 in respect of how blogging and micro-blogging have exploded and how our collective understanding and acceptance has evolved.

Manuscript

I have a couple of weeks off work and so have dug back into the draft manuscript to edit it and submit to Wound Care Canada. Wish me luck

Wound Diagnostics Masterclass 2010, UK

Wounds International hosted a Wound Diagnostics masterclass chaired by Keith Harding and Douglas Queen, in Manchester UK on June 30. Dr Jon Evans presented on vascular assessment methodologies. He has authored 11 papers and presented 22 papers at conferences on new techniques in vascular assessment. Here follows his abstract:
"Under the current UK and European wound care guidelines, the measurement of ABI is seen as an essential part of leg ulcer assessment prior t the applying compression bandaging. The ABI technique is the most effective, accurate and practical method for detecting the presence of arterial disease in an ulcerated limb.
If the patient has calcified arteries then the ABI can provide false readings. In these cases, undertaking toe pressures and TBPI is now becoming the most popular and practical alternative measurement technique. The recording of Doppler waveforms also provides additional information to confirm the clinical findings and ABI results.
The measurement of ABI and TBPI only provides information about the presence of arterial insufficiency to allow treatment of a venous ulcer, and does not provide information on the presence of true venous disease
Various guidelines and recommendations now suggest that a venous assessment should be performed if the ulcer is recurrent or non-healing. This assessment can take the form of photoplethysmography, Doppler or full Duplex ultrasound scans, depending on availability of equipment and resources. The two former techniques can be performed in a primary care setting providing information about the location and severity of the venous disease. This helps the clinician in choosing the appropriate treatment options.
Clinical pathways should now include the assessment of arterial and venous insufficiency as part of a holistic approach to leg ulcer assessment."

Bending the Healthcare Cost Curve

This is a departure from discussion relating only to ABIs for lower limb assessment. I have read two publications in recent weeks discussing the potential challenges and risks of Ontario's booming healthcare spending. The first published in April by OHA, OLTCA, identifies strategies to contain the cost of healthcare in Ontario. It is valuable to see in writing what the industry has seen and been advocating for years, that a small percentage of people account for the majority of services and healthcare dollars and long term thinking on prevention and targeting is cost effective. It also provides a valuable insight into the language of healthcare decision makers, health economists and government. The second document published in May is Charting a Path to Sustainable Health Care in Ontario. It is a TD Economics Special Report (May 27, 2010) and includes their recommended 10 strategies to manage the projection that at current growth rates of 6.5%, healthcare would consume 80% of Provincial funding by 2030. I recommend reading both.

e-posters at Building Bridges III

My poster was accepted and presented at the Building Bridges III conference at the White Oaks, Niagara in April. Fanatastic venue as always. The Buidling Bridges conferences have not accepted posters before, and while there were only five it is an important communication vehicle to share best practice. The posters were displayed on 3 LCD TV screens and not in the usual print format. This was to be kinder to the environment. However, placing a 8' x 4' poster on an LCD screen makes it very difficult to read. My recommendation for the future is to limit to say 800-1000 words and use tables, graphs and phtographs to make it much more legible to be viewed on screen. The posters rotated every 5 minutes giving conference delegates long enough to read them.

Building Bridges III, Niagara Wound care Conference April 2010

I have submitted my abstract to the Building Bridges III conferences run by St Micheal's Hospital Wound Care Team. Posters will be displayed electronically to be environmentally conscious on LCD TVs. I am waiting to hear if it has been accepted.

CAWC Quebec City 2009 poster #329

Here is the link to the poster I presented at the CAWC conference.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/22699562/Lower-Limb-Assessment-Poster-CAWC

Wound Care Canada

The oral poster presentation at the Canadian Association of Wound Care conference went well. Thanks for the opportunity. I was asked the following day if I would be prepared to submit a manuscript for Wound Care Canada in 2010. I already have a draft manuscript 80% prepared. The poster looked great at CAWC. Thanks Sheryl. I obtained a copy on CD of the sessions on venous leg ulcers, with Marc Despatis, Rob Miller, Pat Coutts. They were very worthwhile.

Oral presentation

My oral presentation at CAWC is 17.50-17.58 on Friday evening October 30th in Quebec City Congress Centre. 8 minutes is not long. I am followed by Gary Sibbald so in good company and must not run over my time slot. The poster is now in production. Sheryl Sharma is recreating it with the new title. "A blog as an enabler for Practice for Lower Limb Assessment". We need higher resolution images as the poster is 6' x 4'.

Abstract accepted for oral presentation

My abstract for the CAWC annual conference in Quebec City has been accepted for oral presentation. I changed the name of the poster between the IIWCC submission and to submit for the CAWC conference. The title is now the use of a blog as an educational enabler for Ankle Branchial Pressure Index. I have work to do to recontsruct the poster now that the focus of the title is different. Three weeks to go.

Abstract submitted

Yeah. I have submitted my first abstract in my own name. I have ghost written many. Now I wait.

Abstract submission for CAWC 2009 annual conference

I haven't worked on this blog for some time. The Canadian Association of Wound Care has now open abstract submissions for the annual conference at the end of October in Quebec City. I have until later this month to rewrite a 250 word abstract in the prescribed format and submit it. I am excited again. I also watched Julie and Julia last night about blogging on food. I am inspired again!!

Final IIWCC online survey results

As part of the IIWCC I obtained ethics approval for a survey amongst the current and previous IIWCC students. Here are the final results attached. Please feel free to use.

http://www.scribd.com/share/upload/4710524/28w792k0x5yevzj1tfmn

Survey results

Coming soon!!!

I survived and passed IIWCC

Today I got my final mark back and I have passed everything. I survived IIWCC and passed. I got Masters Level in the majority of the module questions and also the selective. I met Kevin Woo last night. He suggests that I submit the paper to Wound Care Canada and also the poster to a forthcoming conference. Yeah.

Final selective submission

As part of the selective I have created a number of papers as initially outlined in the selective proposal. They include papers describing: a draft manuscript, simple enabler, enabler development process, enabler feedback, back-up educational resources.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/4360307/Enabler-development-process-Selective-John-Gregory?secret_password=21rrkdelmse75hm7mr0x
http://www.scribd.com/doc/4360299/Drafted-enabler-feedback-summary-John-Gregory-Selective-2008?secret_password=1qq4yml4wym8bwcuo4iq
http://www.scribd.com/doc/4360284/Draft-paper-ABI-Selective-John-Gregory-July-2008?secret_password=2jkb1k9cj2fsy6bgnvi9
http://www.scribd.com/doc/4360270/Back-up-educational-tool-Selective-John-Gregory?secret_password=f9j043917gew3km9o0v
http://www.scribd.com/doc/4360269/Simple-Enabler-Selective-John-Gregory?secret_password=nm8ldt516z8qz0mdnfq

Demystifying ABI with the use of a blog poster

I attach an abstract and PDF of a drafted posted entitled "Demystifying Ankle Brachial Pressure Index with the use of a blog".
This has been submitted today July 31st as part of the selective and it is hoped can be presented at a future wound care conference.
The poster summarizes the whole selective process, the use of ABI and the use of this blog as an enabler to practice. It also includes some feedback, future development and references.
Abstract
http://www.scribd.com/doc/4360943/Abstract-for-poster-on-ABI-selective-John-Gregory?secret_password=1rtmszvc2k53jw4dh2jp
Poster
http://www.scribd.com/doc/4361016/Demystifying-ABI-selective-poster-draft-John-Gregory?secret_password=230mamvj1j4usutznj95

Poster on conducting ABIs

Here is a poster and insert authored by the Kath & Peter Vowden. It is reproduced here with kind permission of the authors, Huntleigh Healthcare and British Journal of Community Nursing. The copyright of the Mark Allen Group is acknowledged. It summarizes very effectively the correct procedure for conducting ABIs and is a good accompaniment to the videos posted below on this blog.

http://www.scribd.com/share/upload/1743960/1ehv8eqiyxlxx19lrgbr

Videos of ABI procedure

The embedded videos demonstrate the Best Practice for conducting ABIs. They can be downloaded from this blog. I hope that this enabler will facilitate knowledge transfer and benefit clinical practice.

Waveforms

The use of a Multi Dopplex allows waveforms to be viewed on a computer or printed. The attached videos demonstrate triphasic, biphasic or monophasic arterial pulses. The waveform is more accurate than the ABI. The ABI can be affected by calcification of the arteries which is more evident in patients with diabetes who may have a falsely elevated ABI.