Development of workflow-based guidelines for the care of burns in Scotland

Burn injuries are considered complex because they require a variety of treatments and continuous healing. Moreover, due to the relatively small number of burns patients per year in Scotland, clinicians may lack sufficient experience and familiarity with the care process, leading to errors and omissions. In this work, we captured the necessary knowledge for the first 24 hours of burns treatment for adult patients in the form of structured workflows. Our aim is to construct visual workflow guidelines that can be easily read and understood, irrespective of any workflow expertise, and can be used as a guide in every day care. Preliminary evaluation results from burns care clinicians in the Glasgow Royal Infirmary are positive and will guide our future work. We believe workflow models can be an effective methodology to document and share guidelines for patient care provided they are developed in close collaboration with clinical stakeholders.