Identifying an Education Gap in Wound Care Training in United States Dermatology

Importance:As restoration of the integument is paramount to wound healing, dermatologists should be central to managing wounds; yet this is often not the case. If a training gap exists during residency training, this may account for the observed discrepancy. Objectives:To identify United States (US) dermatology residents' impressions regarding their preparedness to care for wounds, and to assess the amount and type of training devoted to wound care during residency. Design, Setting, and Participants: An online survey among current US dermatology residents enrolled in a residency training program. Main Outcomes and Measures:The primary goal was to determine whether dermatology residents believe more wound care education is needed, evaluate preparedness to care for wounds, and identify future plans to manage wounds. Results: Responses were received from 175 of 517 (33.8%) US Dermatology residents contacted. The majority of residents did not feel prepared to manage acute (78.3%) and chronic (84.6%) wounds. Over three quarters (77.1 %) felt that more education is needed. Fewer than half (49.1 % and 35.4%) of residents planned to care for acute and chronic wounds, respectively, when in practice. Conclusions and Relevance: There is a gap in wound care education in US dermatology residency training. This translates to a low percentage of dermatology residents planning to care for wounds in future practice. Dermatology residents need to receive focused wound care training in order to translate the underpinnings of wound healing biology and ultimately better serve patients.