Hospitals and other health organisations are experiencing cuts on professional wound care management education, which is threatening the standard of care significantly. HEAL is Coloplast’s global educational programme that’s developed in close collaboration with international wound care experts with the aim of increasing knowledge about modern wound healing principles and improving the standard of care for wound patients around the world.

“The HEAL programme can help provide structured clinically based education that’s been designed by health professionals for health professionals – it’s really well-designed, engaging, keeps people’s interest and is flexible. The individual can learn at home; they haven’t got time at work anymore to go to training and they sometimes can’t even access computer terminals to do online learning – so to provide a flexible package that’s well-designed is really relevant.”

Madeleine is a big believer in the power of access to education. It is imperative that healthcare professionals are in a position where they can continuously improve and learn new skills.

“Access to professional education for health care professionals is restricted and limited these days, so the HEAL programme is a real opportunity to give people access to education that is well thought out and planned from an educational perspective rather than a promotional perspective.”

At the age of 19, Kevin was in a car accident that left him with a spinal cord injury. 33 years later, the spinal unit at his local hospital considered closing and moving the unit to another hospital. Kevin refused to accept the sad destiny of his local hospital and decided to fight to keep the spinal unit open to him and other patients who depended on the doctors and consultants there.

“I cannot stand when things are not right. They should be right. I don't know what it is in me, I really don't know why I have this innate desire to make things right. I see something that's wrong I want it to be made right, and I will fight.”

Thanks to Kevin, the hospital did not close and, shortly after, he founded SPINE, a patient support group for patient, relatives and doctors within the spinal cord injury area where he is now Chief Executive. He is also part of the multi-disciplinary management team at the Pinderfield rehab unit where he was once a patient, and he aims to keep improving the standard of care that patients can receive.

“Helping people is why you become a doctor. You need to keep that motivation every day and renew that commitment with every patient. The day you forget your passion and the reason why you became a doctor, it’s better to change profession.”

Mauro feels that his relationship with Coloplast is very important. As he puts it, it is very much like team work, and working together is key for him when it comes to giving the patients the best possible health outcome.

“We are aiming for the best for the patient. Especially when things don’t go as planned, when the job is tough and we are facing a difficult situation, our collaboration is key to find the best solution together. We discuss how to find the best materials and products for the patient and I trust that Coloplast will always do a good job.”

“Beyond the quality of the products, the communication and the support, Coloplast is also a partner in providing access to knowledge and keeping us (surgeons) up to date with technological innovation, surgical techniques, and giving us access to learnings from peers: best practice in surgery and surgical team work.”

Mauro has learned a lot through Coloplast programmes, especially in the penile implants area in the US. By watching the surgical teams working, he has learned how to work faster and build a higher performing team (nurses/ CP/ surgeon) when he operates.

By sponsoring events and congresses, Coloplast brings people together to reinforce knowledge sharing and the community. That also plays an important role in introducing residents to urology as most of them are focused on robotics.

“I am focused every day on preparing the necessary changes. What do I need to deliver today to build the best possible future? I take time to speak to patients to understand in depth the impact of their condition on their lives, how it also impacts their work, and their family. Often we need to go deeper in the conversation to identify precisely what the specific needs of the person are. There is not one fits all solution, each individual is unique and the solution is unique too.”

Back in 1954 when nurse Elise Sørensen wanted to help her sister who had just had an ostomy operation, the foundation was laid for Coloplast’s lifelong partnership with nurses around the world. Elise’s sister was afraid to go out in public, fearing that her stoma might leak. Listening to her sister’s problems, Elise conceived the idea of the world’s first adhesive ostomy bag.

Based on Elise’s idea, Aage Louis-Hansen, a civil engineer and plastics manufacturer, and his wife Johanne Louis-Hansen, a trained nurse, created the ostomy bag. An ostomy bag that helped Thora – and thousands of people like her – to live the life they want to lead. A simple solution that makes a difference.

That tradition is still alive and well in our company, and Louise (right) is just one example of that. A paediatric enterostomal therapy nurse, Louise has devoted her life to raising awareness and teaching other nurses all over the world. She is the former chairperson of the World Council of Enterostomal Therapists (WCET) and has long been a member of the Coloplast Ostomy Forum (COF).

Her goal has always been and remains to help as many people as possible live the life they want to live.

“Coloplast is very good at bringing people together. Coloplast and nurses share the same goal. We want to improve the patients’ quality of life.”

“She always has a lot of dedication to her work, she is always available to remove doubt from both doctors
and patients”.

It is clear that Flavia is very respected in her field. Tenacity is a word that is often used to describe her, and her commitment is always at the highest level.

Since 2012, Access to Healthcare has fought with Argentina’s Ostomy Association to continuously develop the Argentinean ostomy law – to provide better care and better access to products and treatment for people with a stoma.

Due to a persistent, joint effort, the ostomy guidelines in Argentina have now improved, enabling advisors like Flavia to assist and train doctors and nurses who are not experts in ostomy – to ensure that patients are brought back to a position where they can live the life they want.

For Flavia herself, it’s really quite simple. As she puts it, “The idea of helping people is what motivates me. We can help people to continue with their lifestyle.”

Rafael was a professional soccer player until he was 20 years old. Then, he hit his head on the sandbar and became tetraplegic. After a while he became an athlete participating in wheelchair rugby, and after talking to other athletes, he discovered that he could do catheterisation clean and that he could do it alone.

He saw Coloplast products for the first time in the US in connection with a competition and tried SpeediCath® for the first time during this competition. According to Rafael, it changed his life.

“Before, I had lots of urinary infections, every 3 months. I was out of training and competition and my quality of life was affected. I was often hospitalised and that affected my family life as well.”

Rafael was able to find the help that he needed through Access to Healthcare. The AtH programme, in partnership with the Brazilian Society of Urology, has worked hard to produce updated national guidelines for continence care with a focus on shifting the standard of care from indwelling to coated intermittent catheters like SpeediCath®. The results have been a changed mindset towards coated intermittent catheters through well-received guidelines provided to more than 500 urologists from 26 different municipalities in Brazil.

For Rafael, there is only one way: forward.

“My message is: Do not give up, do clean catheterisation – this can change your life as it changed mine. Now I'm happy and living well with quality of life.”

To make real changes, you must raise your voice. For the past 20 years, Makoto Ohama, founder of Japan Spinal Cord Foundation, has been fighting for better care for catheter users in Japan.

In 2016, the Japanese healthcare authorities decided to improve reimbursement for intermittent catheters after Makoto Omaha and the Access to Healthcare programme had advocated for better rights for years. This represents a breakthrough in the Japanese market for Coloplast, who will have an easier time offering the newest and best catheters to people living with incontinence in Japan.

“Medical and social care and systems for Japanese spinal cord injured people are extremely inadequate,” says Makoto Ohama. “SCI patients have limited access to the latest information about products. In order to open up the prospect of healing of spinal cord injury and establishing a comprehensive system, the establishment of the "Japan Spinal Cord Foundation" is absolutely necessary. So, I really want to share this information. This was my main motivation for starting this project.”

Japan generally has an advanced and very modern healthcare system, and with improved reimbursement in place, the monthly supplement per catheter user will increase with more than 50%. There are close to 100,000 people in Japan living with incontinence who need a catheter and they will now have access to better and more modern products.

Mr. Feng has no problem accepting that he is a diabetic. However, the foot ulcer that has pained him as a consequence of his diabetic condition is something that he is glad to have treated.
“Well, diabetes isn't terrible, but a diabetic foot ulcer is truly awful. The pain, in particular, made me sleepless at
night. During the day, I was crying out all the time. The physical pain I was in and the mental suffering that came along with it even made people feel anxious to have the foot cut off.”

Both Mr. Feng and his doctors are very pleased about the training programme, which has brought wound care in the country to a new level. Dr. Yuan Baozhong is one of those who is happy about things these days.

“With the experience that comes with the training, we have made improvements in multi-disciplinary cooperation, individuality-concerned treatment and personalised treatment, and selected wound dressings in a more diversified way.”

Access to Healthcare has supported the China Programme of Training and Education on the Treatment of Diabetic Foot and Relevant Chronic Wounds from 2010 to 2015. During the execution of the Programme, wound centres in China witnessed considerable development, benefiting over 4,900 patients with diabetic feet in cumulative term.

“Sometimes, the pain made me cry out and caused trouble to others. Neighbouring patients were irritated with me. The torment brought by the disease is virtually unspeakable. Thanks to Doctor Wang's treatment, my wounds gradually got better and I experienced less pain. I don't have trouble eating and sleeping anymore. I’m also in a way more relaxed mood. I feel very good!”