Publications by authors named "Tracy Cowan"

Introduction: In early 2020, many services modified their delivery of opioid treatment in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, to limit viral spread and maintain treatment continuity. We describe the changes to treatment and preliminary analysis of the association with patients' substance use and well-being.

Methods: A pre-post comparison of treatment conditions and patient self-reported outcomes using data extracted from electronic medical records in the 5 months before (December 2019-April 2020) and after (May 2020-September 2020) changes were implemented in three public treatment services in South Eastern Sydney Local Health District.

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Implementation of evidence-based care is central to achieving good results. In the UK, this involves implementing guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Here, , consultant editor, reports on a conference that outlined recently published NICE guidance on UrgoStart for treating leg ulcers and diabetic foot ulcers, and described how to incorporate this into everyday practice to drive significant cost savings and improve patient outcomes.

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In May 2018, BSN Medical hosted a symposium, 'The management of venous leg ulcers: the value of high-quality care', at the European Wound Management Association (EWMA) conference in Poland. It focused on the impact of excessive exudate on venous leg ulcer outcomes, how to address it, and concluded with a stepwise strategy for improving the quality of care.

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Realistic outcomes.

J Wound Care

April 2012

Patient-centred care is one of the new mantras of nursing and medicine. However, I wonder if this is a concept we are starting to take for granted, and if our understanding of it is based more on assumptions than we'd like to admit. I've often interpreted it as the need to involve patients in decision-making and ensure they are happy with the care they receive.

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Many exciting new initiatives are described in this month's international organisations' update (see pages 600-604). One that caught my eye is the first EPUAP focus meeting on 'Technological Innovations in Pressure Ulcer Diagnosis, Prevention and Treatment', which takes place in Tel Aviv, Israel, on 16-17 April 2012. In case you're wondering how relevant a focus group on technological innovation is to you, especially in this current climate of cuts and cost savings, then please note this is an opportunity for clinicians to influence, in part, the scientific agenda of both researchers and industry.

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A high court of wound care?

J Wound Care

October 2011

I have just arrived back from two very enjoyable (albeit rainy) days in Galway, attending the Wound Management Association of Ireland's biennial conference. The title of one of the sessions, 'The great debate: technology versus dressings in wound management - is there a difference in outcomes?', caught my eye. Interestingly, while listening to the proceedings, it became apparent that there was more consensus than debate among the delegates, with most agreeing that the key to success is simply the ability to identify which option is most suited to the needs of the patient and wound.

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At the time of writing, it is barely a week since the European Wound Management Association conference in Brussels. For me, one of the highlights of these events is the opportunity to meet so many readers and get feedback on the journal. It was also great to see EWMA and other wound-care associations, industry representatives and practitioners all working together to achieve the shared goal of disseminating information on best practice.

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The new UK coalition government is making one of the most radical changes to the NHS since it was set up over 60 years ago. From 2013, GP consortia will take over the commissioning of health-care services from primary care trusts. They will be tasked with choosing service providers that offer best value clinical outcomes, with a strong emphasis on patient choice.

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