February 7, 2022 | Net Health

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Focus Is on Prevention and Technology During National Burn Awareness Week February 6-12

February 6-12 is National Burn Awareness Week. With this year’s theme, “Fires in the Kitchen,” the American Burn Association highlights the need for safety and vigilance in daily life. Understanding common causes and prevention methods are key to avoiding burn-related injuries. These and the latest in burn treatment and care are the focus of this nationally recognized week designed to inform and motivate.

Kitchen fires and cooking-related injuries are responsible for thousands of trips to emergency rooms each year. More than 73% of burns occur in the home, and 47% of all home fires are caused by cooking. In a four-year review of injury records published in 2018, home structure fires resulted in 530 deaths and thousands of burns that required medical treatment.1

Protecting Those At-Risk for Burns

Out of the 70,000 people who went to emergency rooms with contact burns in 2018, approximately one-third were children under five. Touching hot surfaces and heated containers account for most burns children receive.Adults over 65 are at much higher risk of injury and death from a kitchen fire due to physical, visual, hearing or mental impairments that may slow the quick action necessary in a fire emergency.3 

Effective Treatment at the Local Level

Patients with severe burns can face a difficult road to recovery. Pain, scarring, physical disabilities, and psychological adjustment are side effects of burn injuries. Furthermore, their healing process can be complicated, demanding the best in today’s technology-assisted care throughout the healing continuum.  

Today’s EHRs come with a range of features to help better manage and care for patients with burn wounds. Here are six features to look for in a wound care EHR to ensure it provides documentation capabilities needed to manage care for those patients suffering burn wounds.

  1. Technology that supports better care coordination within the team
  2. Mobile, secure imaging of burn wounds to ensure easy access to images and data for the wound care team
  3. Predictive analytics to help clinicians evaluate and manage treatment of burn wounds
  4. A system that ensures accurate documentation of care provided to support care provided for accurate billing
  5. A platform that streamlines clinical and operational workflows for patients with burn wounds
  6. A system that helps facilitate patient engagement and improve patient satisfaction

Net Health offers a range of integrated solutions to help providers manage a wide range of wounds. Digital imaging from Tissue Analytics allows clinicians to use a smartphone or iPad to capture clear, 2D and 3D images of the burn wound that are recorded and uploaded into the EHR, allowing real-time analysis of wounds. Patients can also upload pictures to their providers using their smartphones, ensuring timely review of the wound’s progress and increasing engagement.

Help provide optimum care for your burn patients.  Or check out this ebook:

6 Best Practices from Industry Experts to Ensure a Thriving Wound Care Practices

NOTE: A burn center or burn care facility is typically a hospital ward specializing in treating severe burn injuries. Over 60% of the estimated U.S. acute hospitalizations related to burn injury were admitted to 128 burn centers. Such centers now average over 200 annual admissions for burn injury and skin disorders requiring similar treatment. The other 4,500 U.S. acute care hospitals average less than 3 burn admissions per year.4

Disclaimer: This information is not meant to replace the advice of a medical professional. You should consult your health care provider regarding specific medical concerns or treatment.

1-3American Burn Association, Burn Awareness Week, 2022

4American Burn Association, Burn Incidence Fact Sheet, 2022

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