The Concord Ambulatory Care Clinic supports burns patients post-discharge and those needing specialized care without admission. Serving 11 local health districts, the clinic delivers around 14,000 appointments annually, both in-person and via telehealth. From 2020-2023, 19% of services were delivered via telehealth. This project aims to increase that to the NSW Healths target KPI of 30% for all non-admitted patients.
This project aimed to develop clear and concise wound care education pamphlets to improve the experience of patients and their families throughout the burn recovery journey. These resources support comprehensive telehealth services by empowering patients, addressing common concerns, and reducing the need for twice weekly clinic visits.
Patient feedback and discussions highlighted the need for educational, patient-friendly wound care materials. A draft pamphlet was created and reviewed by a clinician-led working group. Once approved, it was sent to Sydney Local Health District (SLHD) Consumer group for further feedback, prompting only minor revisions. The final version was then formatted by the SLHD design team and printed for use.
This twelve (12) month development process resulted in pamphlets that have now been in use for six (6) months, receiving positive feedback from both clinicians and consumers. One key challenge was the highly specialized nature of burn care, making it difficult to clearly communicate instructions and early warning signs. Additionally, the design needed to remain brand- neutral while covering a wide range of dressing materials.
The next steps involve developing a Patient Reported Outcome Measure (PROM) to evaluate the strengths and limitations of the pamphlets. Patients and/or external clinicians will receive pamphlets along with weekly telehealth support to manage wound care independently. At the end of treatment, the PROM will assess the usefulness of the pamphlet, patient perceptions of service provided, and their preferred mode of care- face-to-face or pamphlet with telehealth support.