Our Platform
IWSS is a professional organization built specifically to support mobile and independent office-based wound care specialists. IWSS aims to address the challenges our community is facing by:
• Establishing standards of excellence
• Promoting clinical practice guidelines and shared clinical knowledge to improve patient care
• Strengthening the published evidence demonstrating the value of this care through studies and real-world data
• Advocating against harmful reimbursement and regulatory policies
• Creating a unified voice to influence policy and protect patient and provider access
Supporting the Frontline of Advanced Wound Care
Why Independent Providers Are Essential
Mobile and independent office-based wound specialists deliver high-quality care to patients who cannot access hospital-based wound centers—including mobility-challenged individuals, rural residents, and others in medically underserved communities. These providers treat some of the most complex wounds in non-traditional settings, often preventing amputations and hospitalizations. The increasing numbers of chronic wounds are making the role of these providers more and more critical to patients nationwide.
Why We Need IWSS
Mobile and office-based wound care providers share many common interests with our colleagues in the broader wound care industry. However there are areas where out challenges and concerns are very different, and in those areas we must speak with our own voice. IWSS aims to address the specific needs of independent wound care specialists while supporting the work of other groups which represent the wound care community more broadly.
The Five Pillars We Build On
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All providers offering wound care in the field should be thoroughly educated on the proper treatment of wounds and the available tools. IWSS encourages the use of existing certification programs and supports ongoing efforts to establish recognized wound care specialties.
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Providers and practices should establish and utilize robust clinical practice standards. IWSS will offer a forum to develop shared guidelines leveraging the experience and expertise of our community.
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Practice structure, including clinical guidelines and compensation systems, should encourage appropriate and high-quality patient care, and should never incentivize misuse or overuse of certain services or products
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Providers must develop procedures and systems to ensure the smooth coordination of a patient’s care across time and settings, including referral to other specialists when appropriate
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IWSS recognizes the critical need for real world data to guide clinical decisionmaking and is committed to supporting the collection, analysis and publication of this data