Venous leg ulceration affects a significant portion of the general population; it is estimated that 1% of the population will have a leg ulcer at some point in their lives, not to mention the years of suffering, pain and social isolation that individual patient’s experience.
Chronic leg ulcers are generally slow to heal, frequently reoccur and utilise intensive use of health care resources.
The aims of the project were:
- to improve service delivery to patient with leg ulcers attending Tissue Viability Nurse Service-led leg ulcer clinics.
- to standardise management of leg ulcer care through the development of a patient care pathway/leg ulcer numerical assessment tool (LUMAS)
- to provide patients presenting with leg ulcers with written information about the management of their leg ulcers.
Outcomes
The Leg Ulcer Care pathway was completed as part of this project. It was signed and agreed by the Nursing Executive Team and was approved in January 2012.
Based on the two audit findings and leg ulcer literature, the Leg Ulcer Management Assessment Scale (LUMAS) has been developed.
Improving care for patients with leg ulcers poster
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