The importance of 1-Day Skin and Wound Care Skills Training Sessions and the ECHO Toolkit

Over the past few months, WoundPedia, in collaboration with our partners at Nurses Specialized in Wound, Ostomy and Continence Canada (NSWOCC), and Queen's University have transitioned the delivery of our skin and wound skills sessions from virtual to in-person.

Training Overview

This 1-day ECHO Skin and Wound in-person skills training session is focused on strengthening clinicians’ ability to identify, assess, and manage patients at risk for leg and foot complications, including diabetic foot ulcers and lower limb amputations. This session is delivered in an interactive, hands-on format designed for MDs, NPs, RNs, RPNs, and Allied Health Professionals (OT, PT, Chiropody). Participants rotate through practical skills stations to build competence and confidence in core wound assessment techniques. The development of these competencies will facilitate reduced incidence of preventable complications, avoid unnecessary hospitalizations, and improve patient outcomes across primary care, community care, and acute settings.

This skills training, accredited by Queen’s University, is directly linked to our ECHO Skin and Wound Care Toolkit that is valued at $1200 CAD ($1800 with footwear + packaging and shipping). This toolkit further strengthens daily practice in your patient’s own community. The session will facilitate access to specialized tools and devices that enhance their ability to perform advanced assessments and therapeutic interventions. This ensures that the knowledge gained during training is immediately translatable into improved clinical decision-making and patient outcomes.

This accredited training, along with the toolkit, will equip clinicians to enhance their clinical competency in wound care, strengthen assessment skills, and contribute to improved patient outcomes within your practice setting. Participation aligns with organizational goals related to quality improvement, wound prevention, and effective management of high-risk patients. Managers are strongly encouraged to support eligible team members to attend this valuable training opportunity.

Importance of ECHO toolkits

These sessions promote standard, simple assessments on identifying the high-risk diabetic foot, vascular supply, infection and pressure offloading for resource-limited settings to provide comprehensive care in these communities.

The key components for the ECHO toolkit that complement the skills sessions include:

• Screening for the high-risk diabetic foot with the simplified 60 second screen

• Audible handheld Doppler: a bedside tool in the home or community to determine blood supply, can be recorded on cell phone and entered into electronic record or sent to specialist for confirmation

• Infra-red thermometry: identifying and managing local (covert) and deep & surrounding (overt) infection, along with use of oral antibiotics for deep cellulitis and osteomyelitis

• Plantar pressure redistribution: kits developed by expert group of foot specialists (chiropodists) for treatment in own communities (all-purpose boots, felt/foam, plastazote/poron)

These toolkits, in conjunction with the 1-day skills training and participation in ECHO, help healthcare professionals acquire skin and wound care skills to treat patients with lower limb disorders, especially diabetic foot ulcers. The toolkits not only help in decreasing amputation rates (as most are preventable) but also improve the efficiency of the health care system at a lower cost.

Upcoming 1-Day Skills Training Day in Thunder Bay

WoundPedia will be hosting an upcoming Skills Training Day in Thunder Bay, along with the Nurse Practitioners' Association of Ontario. This session will held on May 29th, 2026 from 8AM to 4:30PM at the Delta Hotel located on 2240 Sleeping Giant Parkway.

Here is the link to register: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/M33D76G.The deadline to register is on April 30th, 2026.

Join us for a 1-day skills training event filled with learning, networking and connecting with experts in the skin and wound care field!

More information can be found in the flyer below.