INTRODUCTION to Wound Care Certification: Wound Care Certification Study Guide, Third Edition, was developed to encourage health care professionals to obtain recognized credentials in wound care, which should result in improved medical practice, competence,and patient outcomes.

The following is designed to help you determine which certification exam best fits your situation and provide “pearls” to help pass the certification exam.

WOUND CARE CERTIFICATION

  1. Various wound care certifications are available to physicians, nonphysician providers, nurses, and many others. The wound care certification testing agencies and their corresponding certifications listed in this chapter reflect a compilation of information about the exams available to the authors at the time of this writing. It is highly recommended that all prospective applicants do their own research at the individual certification exam websites, which are provided in the following table. In addition to the degree/license requirement, there is an application fee for each of the exams. Some exams require annual maintenance fees and/or have practice requirements. Prospective candidates are advised to contact the individual organizations for further details.
  2. Physicians should be aware that neither the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) nor its osteopathic counterpart, the Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists (BOS), recognizes wound care as a specialty or subspecialty; thus, none of the certification options can be considered a board certification.
    Wound care certification is perhaps better described as a certificate of added qualification.
    Certification identifies a standard of knowledge; advances cooperation and resource exchange among various disciplines and organizations; encourages continued professional growth and development of individuals; and establishes a code of ethics, responsibility, and high professional standards for certified individuals.
  3. Accreditation of certifying organizations
  1. Only American Board of Wound Medicine and Surgery (ABWMS) certification is listed on the physician’s compare website.
  2. Table 1.1 Wound Care Credentials summarizes the credentials in wound care that are currently available.

Increasing numbers of wound care practices are adding hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) as a treatment option for difficult wounds.

II. Hyperbaric medicine certification

  1. Increasing numbers of wound care practices are adding hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) as a treatment option for difficult wounds. A list of accepted indications for hyper baric oxygen is available on the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) website: https://www.uhms.org.
  2. Wound care physicians/providers are often asked to supervise HBOT treatments. Medicare administrative contractors and some private payers have specified the physician/provider training required for reimbursement of HBOT. Many have required ACLS certification and at least completion of a recognized 40-hour introductory course in hyperbaric medicine. In addition to payer requirements, some hospital credentialing offices have required HBOT supervising physicians/providers to have a credentialed physician preceptor, and some have required certification in hyperbaric medicine
  3. ABMS recognizes subspecialty board certification in un dersea and hyperbaric medicine (UHM) offered by both the American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) and the American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM). At the time of this writing, UHM subspecialty board certification is only available to physicians who complete a one-year fellowship in UHM approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.
  4. A certificate of added qualification (CAQ) in hyperbaric medicine is available to physicians through the UHMS, the American Osteopathic Board of Preventive Medicine (AOBPM), and the American Board of Wound Healing (ABWH). Non-physician providers can get a certificate of added training from the UHMS.
  5. Hyperbaric nurse and hyperbaric technologist certification is available from the National Board of Diving and Hyperbaric Technology (NBDHMT) and the ABWH. The ABWH credential (certified hyperbaric and wound specialist) includes both hyperbaric medicine and wound care; and is also available to physicians and nonphysician providers.
  6. Table 1.2 summarizes the credentials in hyperbaric medicine that are currently available

TEXT from Wound Care Certification Study Guide pages 1-2. Published by Best Publishing Company and written by Robert Sheffield, CHT, Jayesh B. Shah, MD, MHA, FUHM  Additional education material on Wound Care is available in the Textbook of Chronic Wound Care: An Evidence-Based Approach for Diagnosis and Treatment

WOUND CARE CERTIFICATON COURSE (NAWCO/NACCB Approved Course)
The National Alliance of Wound Care (NAWCO) has determined that WOUND CARE EDUCATION PARTNERS course:
Wound Care Certification Prep Course and Refresher Training program content covers all of the domains that candidates who take the WCC Certification Examination will be tested on. Therefore, program graduates of the WCEP 25.5 hour Wound Care Certification Basic Training And Review course will be considered to have met the educational requirements and be permitted to test for the Wound Care Certified (WCC) certification. You can find our organization, Wound Care Education Partners listed on the NAWCO/NACCB website as a provider that has met the certification committee criteria.

INTRODUCTION TO HYPERBARIC MEDICINE COURSE (Precursor for PATH, NBDHMT, ABWH)
For those interested in a complete course providing professionals with basic training or continuing education in hyperbaric medicine. Wound Care Education Partners has a 40+ hour livestream course: Introduction To Hyperbaric Medicine. This course meets the CMS requirements for physician supervision and billing; and is a precursor to getting the UHMS PATH or either the NBDHMT certification of added qualification or the ABWH certificate of added qualification.