We are honored to share that Wound Reference, Inc and ELCOS Wound Care Portuguese Society have been awarded the Best Abstract - Practice Innovation Award at the SAWC Spring 2025 Conference, taking place on April 30-May 4! This prestigious recognition highlights our ongoing efforts to advance wound care through digital innovation for clinical decision support.

Thank you, SAWC Spring Abstract Selection Committee!

About the Award-Winning Abstract “From Adoption to Adaptation: A One-Year Follow-Up on the Usability, Perception, and Adoption of Digital Interactive Clinical Pathways Among a Portuguese National Wound Care Society”

• Authors: Elaine H. Song MD PhD MBA, Catherine Milne APRN MSN CWOCN-AP CWOCNF,  Tânia Santos MSc Nurse, Lourdes Muñoz-Hidalgo MSc Nurse, Kátia Furtado PhD Nurse, Tiffany Hamm BSN RN ACHRN CWS, Jeffrey Mize RRT CHT
• Key message: Our winning abstract showcases how a Portuguese national wound care society successfully digitized ELCOS’ paper-based pocket guide library into nineteen interactive digital guides using CliniPaths by Wound Reference. These pathways feature clinical decision support tools, videos, checklists, and documentation templates that can be easily accessed at the point of care, guiding clinicians and facilitating informed decision-making.
• The digital suite was introduced to more than 100 society members, and a one-year post-implementation assessment revealed high usability, satisfaction, and adoption rates:
• 80% of clinicians used the pathways at least once or twice a month.
• 86% found them helpful in clinical decision-making and promoting best practices.
• 100% would recommend them to their peers.
• Related articles: Wound Reference and ELCOS at EWMA 2024,  WoundReference wins the Journal of Wound Care Award 2024 for Innovation in Wound Care

We are grateful for the continued partnership with ELCOS and remain committed to developing innovative solutions for our colleagues that drive meaningful, real-world impact for our patients.

Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to push the boundaries of clinical decision support.