RT Book, Section A1 Hamm, Rose L. SR Print(0) ID 1106997621 T1 Foreword T2 Text and Atlas of Wound Diagnosis and Treatment YR 2015 FD 2015 PB McGraw-Hill Education PP New York, NY SN 9780071807210-qa LK accessphysiotherapy.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1106997621 RD 2024/03/29 AB Wounds, in particular chronic wounds, present a challenge to patients and healthcare providers worldwide. In the United States alone, chronic wounds affect more than 6 million patients annually, costing the health care system an estimated $20–25 billion. Patient care is often envisioned to be driven by discoveries in basic, translational, and clinical research, and in fact, wound healing research has been quite productive despite significant underfunding from federal sources in the United States. However, patient care is more often driven by professional education. While wound care has improved, practice gaps exist and chronic wounds will become a more significant public health concern as the US population ages and the incidence of risk factors for chronic wounds (such as diabetes) continues to rise. To combat the increasing number of patients with wounds and wound healing problems, more and better trained clinicians are needed.