Excellence in Collaboration and Partnerships

Summary of work

The clinically proven T.I.M.E. CDST improves wound healing outcomes for patients by addressing inconsistencies in wound care from entrenched clinical practice and a lack of effective tools for healthcare professionals (HCPs). This collaboration between Smith+Nephew, internationally renowned wound care experts and wound care journals, fulfilled an unmet need for a tool that educates HCPs about wound types and their management. Chronic wounds are an increasing and substantial, yet low priority, healthcare burden. HCPs persist with ineffective treatments for debilitating chronic wounds even though multiple options are available to help achieve healing. Energising HCPs to change entrenched approaches requires clinically proven interventions, endorsed by experts. Smith+Nephew established the need for a new tool by conducting a large wound care survey at a scientific congress. It highlighted gross inconsistencies in patient care, poor healing outcomes and a need for education on how to assess and treat wounds. In response, the T.I.M.E. CDST was developed with leading experts, who used the tool at their centres to demonstrate effectiveness and partnered with peer-reviewed journals to publish the results. Further collaboration with the World Union of Wound Healing Societies resulted in a position statement advocating adoption of the T.I.M.E. CDST to improve patient outcomes.

Judges' comments

The judges liked this sophisticated, global multi-channel programme from Smith+Nephew. The programme aimed to improve the management of wound care through collaboration with experts and journals and did this very well.