Predictors of health-care needs in discharged burn patients

The Perceived Informational Needs of Family Caregivers of Children Hospitalized in a Burn Department: A Cross-sectional Study

Children are most vulnerable to burn injuries, and their families are their most important source of support. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the information needs of such parents and support them to help children adapt to the new situation, recover to pre-accident conditions, and reintegrate into school and society. This study aimed to investigate the perceived information needs of family caregivers of children admitted to the burn wards of hospitals. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 200 family caregivers of children admitted to the burn ward of a hospital in Tabriz, Iran. Participants were selected through convenience sampling, and the required data were collected by using questionnaires on socio-demographic information, information needs, information resources, and information acquisition methods. The obtained data were analyzed statistically using descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, frequency, and percentage) and inferential statistics (Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, and Spearman correlation tests). Results indicated that the greatest informational need among family caregivers was related to the child's condition. The treatment team was identified as the most important source of information for them. It was found that information should be provided in a comprehensive and understandable manner, while maintaining honesty and human dignity. The study findings contribute to our understanding of the specific information needs of family caregivers in managing the medical care of children with burns. These findings can serve as a basis for interventions and support services aimed at meeting the needs of these families and improving the quality of care for children with burns.

Early predictors of health-related quality of life outcomes at 12 months post-burn: ABLE study

There remains a paucity of evidence on the early predictors of long-term Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) outcomes post-burn in hospitalised adults. The overall aim of this study was to identify the factors (personal, environmental, burn injury and burn treatment factors) that may predict long-term HRQoL outcomes among adult survivors of hospitalised burn injuries at 12 months post-burn. A total of 274 participants, aged 18 years or over, admitted to a single state-wide burn centre with a burn injury were recruited. Injury and burn treatment information were collected from medical records or the hospital database and surveys collected demographic and social data. HRQoL outcome data were collected at 3-, 6- and 12-months using the 12-Item Short Form Survey (SF-12 v1) and Burns Specific Health Scale-Brief (BSHS-B). Personal, environmental, burn injury and burn treatment factors were also recorded at baseline. Analyses were performed using linear and logistic regression. Among 274 participants, 71.5 % (N=196) remained enrolled in the study at 12 months post-burn. The majority of participants reported HRQoL outcomes comparable with population norms and statistically significant improvements in generic (SF-12 v1) and condition-specific (BSHS-B) outcomes over time. However, for participants with poor HRQoL outcomes at 12-months post-burn, Univariable predictors included longer hospital length of stay, unemployment at the time of injury, a diagnosed pre-injury mental health condition, inadequate pre-burn social support, intentional injury, recreational drug use pre-injury and female gender. The early multivariable predictors of insufficient HRQoL outcomes were female gender, a previously diagnosed mental health condition, unemployment, inadequate social support, intentional injury, and prolonged hospital length of stay. These results suggest potential factors that could be used to screen and burns patients for psychosocial intervention and long-term follow up.

Return-to-employment for working-aged adults after burn injury: A mixed methods scoping review

BACKGROUND

This scoping review aimed to identify the barriers, facilitators and benefits of returning to work following burn injury, outcome measures used, management strategies, and models of care.

OBJECTIVE

To provide a comprehensive overview about working-aged adults returning to their preinjury employment after burn injury.

METHODS

We followed a pre-determined scoping review protocol to search MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, CCRCT and CDSR databases between 2000 to December 2023. Papers reporting primary data from previously employed adults with cutaneous burn injuries were included.

RESULTS

In all, 90 articles met the review criteria. Return-to-work was both an outcome goal and process of recovery from burn injury. Physical and psychological impairments were identified barriers. Job accommodations and modifications were important for supporting the transition from hospital to workplace. Employment status and quality of life sub-scales were used to measure return-to-work.

CONCLUSIONS

Consistent definitions of work and measurements of return-to-employment after burn injury are priorities for future research. Longitudinal studies are more likely to capture the complexity of the return-to-employment process, its impact on work participation and changes in employment over time. The social context of work may assist or hinder return-to-work more than physical environmental constraints. Equitable vocational support systems would help address disparities in vocational rehabilitation services available after burn injury.

Adult Burn Survivors and Burn Care Staff Perceptions Regarding Transitioning From the Burn Unit: A Cross-Country Qualitative Study in Ghana and China

Rehabilitative care for burn patients in developing countries is often wrought with several issues. Post-discharge support is equally challenging as there is often limited rehabilitative care as the burn survivors and their families transition. To inform practice, this study sought to explore the perspectives of adult burn survivors and burn care staff regarding transitioning from the burn unit and the development of a transitional rehabilitation programme. We employed interpretive description for this study. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted with adult burn survivors and burn care staff across two tertiary healthcare facilities in Lanzhou, Gansu Province of China, and Ghana. The thematic analytical approach was employed to analyse the data. Forty-six participants comprising 26 adult burn survivors and 20 burn care staff participated in this study. Two themes and five subthemes emerged from the data. Transitioning from the burn unit to the home was described as complex with varied biopsychosocial needs emerging. However, available support was not comprehensive to resolve these needs. Existing pre-discharge support is limited across both settings. Burn survivors expressed interest in taking on an active role in the rehabilitation process and being able to self-manage their post-burn symptoms following discharge. Transitional rehabilitative support should include an active follow-up system, ensure patient- and family-centred support, and offer a bundle of comprehensive rehabilitative services using locally available items which do not financially burden burn survivors and their families. In conclusion, transitioning from the burn unit is filled with varied health needs. Transitional rehabilitative care is required to bridge the pre-discharge and post-discharge periods.

Identifying Populations at Risk for Difficulty Managing Emotions and Social Interactions After Burn Injury

There has been conflicting data on the relationship between burn severity and psychological outcomes. The present study aims to characterize the baseline psychosocial disposition of adults attending outpatient burn clinic at a large urban safety net hospital, as well as the impact of clinical course on self-reported psychosocial well-being. Adult patients attending outpatient burn clinic completed survey questions from the National Institutes of Health Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Managing Chronic Conditions: Self-Efficacy for Managing Social Interactions (SEMSI-4) and Managing Emotions (SEME). Sociodemographic variables were collected from surveys and retrospective chart review. Clinical variables included total body surface area burned, initial hospital length of stay, surgical history, and days since injury. Poverty level was estimated by U.S. census data using patient's home ZIP code. Scores on SEME-4 and SEMSI-4 were compared to the population mean by one-sample T-test, and independent variables evaluated for associations with managing emotions and social interactions by Tobit regression while adjusting for demographic variables. The 71 burn patients surveyed had lower scores in SEMSI-4 (mean = 48.0, P = .041) but not SEME-4 (mean = 50.9, P = .394) versus the general population. Marital status and neighborhood poverty level were associated with SEMSI-4, while length of stay and % total body surface area burned were associated with SEME-4. Patients who are single or from poorer neighborhoods may have difficulty interacting with their environment after burn injury and need extra social support. Prolonged hospitalization and increased severity of burn injury may have more impact on emotional regulation; these patients may benefit from psychotherapy during recovery.

Psychiatric Illness and Substance Abuse: Unaddressed Factors in Burn Injury

Patients with psychiatric illness and substance use comorbidities have high rates of burn injuries and experience prolonged hospital admissions. This retrospective chart review characterizes this marginalized population's inpatient burn care and examines post-discharge outcomes compared to burn patients without psychiatric or substance use comorbidities treated at our center. Patients admitted to a single burn center from January 1, 2018 to June 1, 2022 were included. Patient demographics, history of psychiatric disorders, treatment course, and post-discharge outcomes were collected. A total of 1660 patients were included in this study, of which 91 (6%) patients were diagnosed for psychiatric comorbidity and/or substance use comorbidity on admission for burn care. In this cohort of 91 patients with psychiatric and/or substance use comorbidities, the majority of patients were undomiciled (66%) and male (67%). In this cohort, 66 (72%) patients reported recent history or had positive urine toxicology results for illicit substances on admission. In this cohort, a total of 25 (28%) patients had psychiatric comorbidity at the time of burn injury or admission and 69 (76%) patients received inpatient psychiatric care, with 31 (46%) patients requiring psychiatric holds. After discharge, the readmission rate within 1 year of patients with psychiatric and/or substance use comorbidity was over four times greater than that of patients without psychiatric and/or substance use comorbidity. The most common causes of readmission were subsequent mental health crisis (40%) and inability to perform burn care (32%). Our study presents strategies to improve burn care for this marginalized and high-risk population.

Health care needs, eHealth literacy, use of mobile phone functionalities, and intention to use it for self-management purposes by informal caregivers of children with burns: a survey study

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to assess health care needs, electronic health literacy, mobile phone usage, and intention to use it for self-management purposes by informal caregivers of children with burn injuries.

METHODS

This cross-sectional research was carried out in 2021 with 112 informal caregivers of children with burns in a burn center in the north of Iran. The data collection tools were questionnaires that included the participants' demographics, their E-Health Literacy, their current mobile phone usage, and their desires for mobile phone use for burn care services.

RESULTS

Most informal caregivers had smartphones (83.0%) and Internet access (81.3%). Most participants occasionally used phone calls (63.4%), the Internet (45.5%), and social media (42.9) to receive information about psychosocial disorders, infection control, wound care, pain, itch, physical exercise, and feeding. Most participants have never used some of the mobile phone functionalities to receive burn-related information, such as applications/Software (99.1%) and e-mail (99.1%). Nevertheless, most informal caregivers desire to use mobile applications for self-management purposes in the future (88.4%). The mean eHealth literacy score was 25.01 (SD = 9.61). Informal caregivers who had higher education levels, access to the Internet, and lived in urban areas had higher eHealth literacy (P < 001).

CONCLUSION

The current research delivers beneficial information about the healthcare needs of informal caregivers and their preference to use mobile functionality to receive burns-related healthcare and rehabilitation information post-discharge. This information can help design and implement mobile health (mHealth) interventions to enhance the self-care skills of informal caregivers.

Peer Support Groups: Identifying Disparities to Improve Participation

Disparities in psychosocial outcomes after burn injury exist in patients from racial or ethnic minority groups in the United States. Peer support groups can help patients with many psychosocial aspects of recovery from burns; however, access to such support among patients of racial and ethnic minority or low socioeconomic groups are unknown. The present study examined participation rates in outpatient peer support within this patient population. Patients attending outpatient clinic at an urban safety-net hospital and regional burn center with a majority minority patient population were asked about participation in burn survivor group, interest in joining a group, and given validated survey questions about managing emotions and social interactions since injury. Current or past participation in peer support was low (4.2%), and 30.3% of patients not already in support group were interested in joining. Interest in future participation in peer support was highest among Hispanic patients (37.0%) and lowest among Black patients (0%). Logistic regression models demonstrated that increased total body surface area burned, hospital length of stay, and need for surgical intervention were associated with interest in joining or having joined a peer support group. Effectiveness of management of emotions and social interactions were not associated with interest in joining peer support in the future. These findings demonstrate a considerable difference between levels of interest and participation in peer support within this population. Improving access to and education about benefits of peer support in underresourced communities may help to address the variation in psychosocial outcomes of patients across racial or ethnic minority groups recovering from burns.

The effect of rehabilitation education through social media on the quality of life in burn patients: a randomized, controlled, clinical trial

BACKGROUND

Burn is one of the most brutal harms to the human body and mind and its wide-ranging complications have many adverse effects on the patients' quality of life. The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of rehabilitation education through social media on burn patients' quality of life.

METHODS

The present randomized, controlled, clinical trial was conducted on 60 patients admitted to Imam Reza Hospital Burn Center in the city of Mashhad, Iran, who were randomly assigned to either the intervention or control groups (n = 30 per group). The researcher then created a WhatsApp channel to provide educational content and a WhatsApp group for burns patients to join and get their questions answered. The intervention group patients pursued their post-discharge education through the social media for a month. The control group patients received their discharge education according to the ward's routine procedures through pamphlets and face-to-face training by the personnel. As the study's main variable, the Burn Specific Health Scale-Brief was completed by both groups before and 1 and 2 months after the intervention. Data were analyzed using the ANCOVA and repeated-measures ANOVA.

RESULTS

There was no significant differences between the intervention and control groups in terms of the QOL score and any of the domains at baseline. The results indicated the significant effect of the intervention both 1 and 2 months post-intervention on the QOL score and all the domains (P < 0.05), except for body image (P_model1 = .550 and  P_model2 = .463) and skin sensitivity (P_model1 = .333 and P_model2 = .104).

CONCLUSION

The post-discharge rehabilitation education of burns patients through social media improves their quality of life and can be used as an appropriate educational and follow-up method in different stages of the rehabilitation of burn patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION NO. : IRCT20190622043971N1, 05-10-2019.

Increased risk for sleep disorders in burn patients: A 14-year nationwide, population-based cohort study

BACKGROUND

Burn is a major trauma that causes physical and psychosocial impairments, leading to sleep disorders. However, the data about risks for sleep disorders in patients over 3 years following burn injury are limited.

AIM

To investigate the long-term risks for sleep disorders in patients after burn injury and identify the high-risk population.

METHODS

A 14-year population-based cohort study was performed using data from the 2000-2013 Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) which was a valid representative sample of the total population. All diagnoses of medical records in NHIRD were made by physicians and coded according to the ICD-9-CM. Cases diagnosed with burns (ICD-9 CM: N-code 940-949 and E-code 890-899) were included. The control group (non-burn injury group) was comprised quadruple the number of cases matched by index date, sex and age.

RESULTS

In 2000-2013, among the 10,289 burn patients included and followed-up after the index year, burn injury significantly increased the risks for sleep disorders (Hazard Ratio; HR = 1.36, p = 0.044), including insomnia (HR = 1.41, p = 0.036), sleep disturbance (HR = 2.39, p = 0.005) and sleep apnoea (HR = 1.38, p = 0.029). Compared with the control group, those who were women (HR = 1.73, p = 0.021), adolescents (HR = 5.45, p < 0.001), aged 19-24 years (HR = 1.36, p = 0.034), aged 25-44 years (HR = 1.67, p = 0.007), had low income (HR = 2.14, p = 0.001), and without a history of mental disorders (HR = 1.41, p = 0.024) had significantly higher risks for developing sleep disorders when suffered burn injury.

CONCLUSION

Burn had long-term negative effects on sleep during both the first year of burn injury and the subsequent follow-up 14 years. It is important for physicians to long-term assess the sleep quality of burn patients regardless of the number of years after burn injury.

"On the Recovery Journey:" An Integrative Review of the Needs of Burn Patients From Immediate Pre-Discharge to Post-Discharge Period Using the Omaha System

BACKGROUND

To establish a conceptual understanding of the needs of burn patients, the specific research question asked is: "What are the needs of burn patients from 1-week pre-discharge to the post-discharge period?"

METHODS

Whittemore and Knafl's integrative review approach was used to answer the review question. The databases searched were the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PubMed, Embase, and Scopus. Thirty-two primary studies were retained at the end of the screening process. Directed content analysis was undertaken, with the Omaha system as an organizing framework.

RESULTS

Recovery after burns is not a linear process, but an intricate one filled with varied needs in the physiological (pain, skin, neuro-musculo-skeletal, and infection), psychosocial (social contact, role changes, spirituality, grief, mental health, and sexuality), health-related behavior (nutrition, sleep and rest patterns, and physical activity), and environmental (income) domains of the Omaha system. The nature and intensity of these needs change over time, suggesting that recovery for the burn patient is an ongoing process.

CONCLUSIONS

Several needs exist from 1 week before discharge to the post-discharge period. The mutual relationship and evolving nature of these needs create an avenue for a flexible, regular, holistic transitional program, similar to the support offered to persons living with chronic conditions.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Hospital discharge does not imply an end to the recovery of burn patients, and burn survivors still require holistic care even after discharge. The review shows the applicability of the Omaha system in exploring and classifying the needs of burn survivors and situates nursing at the core of such a program. It is possible that a nurse-led program of care needs to be considered.

Effect of Telenursing and Face-to-Face Training Techniques on Quality of Life in Burn Patients: A Clinical Trial

OBJECTIVE

To compare the effect of telenursing and face-to-face training on the quality of life (QOL) of patients with a burn injury.

DESIGN

This clinical trial with pretest-posttest design on 3 groups was conducted in Kermanshah, Iran, from 2017 to 2018. Convenience sampling was used.

SETTING

A tertiary hospital in Kermanshah, west of Iran.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 90 patients with burns of grade 2 and 3 after discharge from the hospital were randomly assigned to 3 groups including telenursing (30), face-to-face training (30), and control (30).

INTERVENTIONS

Each intervention group received 1-on-1 telephone training and face-to-face training in 8 sessions (2 sessions of 15 to 20min/wk). The control group received regular care.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

QOL was evaluated by the Burn Specific Health Scale-Brief (BSHS-B).

RESULTS

The mean BSHS-B scores before and after intervention for telenursing, face-to-face, and the control group were 71.43±21.92 and 133.06±11.97; 64.83±26.16 and 124.83±23.05; and 58.63±20.89 and 73.13±33.04, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference among the 3 groups with respect to the training methods after intervention (P<.001). In addition, post hoc test did not show a significant difference between the telenursing and face-to-face groups (P=.244).

CONCLUSIONS

Educational methods in the form of telenursing and face-to-face training were effective and promoted QOL in survivors of burn injuries. Both telenursing and face-to-face training can be used to improve the QOL of survivors of burn injuries during the rehabilitation phase.

Lived experiences of burn survivors regarding the challenges of home care follow-ups: a phenomenological study

Burn victims often require long-term treatments. Patients prefer to be at home while receiving care services but there are some deficiencies in conducting home care. To explore the challenges of nurse-led follow-up, 16 burn survivors who received home care for 6 months were interviewed. The theme, "barriers of care," was extracted. It included two subthemes entitled "Barriers related to implementation of home care and "Barriers of ideality." Providing home care for burn survivors encounters several barriers that were classified into two categories including modifiable and nonmodifiable barriers. Suitable infrastructure and policies are necessary to conduct home care for burn survivors.

The psychosocial complexities of acute burn patients in an Australian trauma hospital

INTRODUCTION

Psychosocial risk and protective factors specific to acute burn patients have been shown to impact on longer-term health outcomes. Yet the nature and impact of such factors throughout the acute hospital admission phase have not been extensively examined to date. This study analysed the psychosocial pre-admission, hospitalisation and discharge factors for a sample of burn patients at an Australian specialist acute burns unit (The Alfred) and the relationship with their admission length.

METHODS

A retrospective audit was undertaken of psychosocial factors documented in patient medical records, Victorian Adult Burns Service registry data, and social work files (January-December 2014).

RESULTS

Two hundred and forty-nine patients were identified, with a mean age of 42.83 years and a preponderance of men (73.9%). The majority (71%) had a low burn severity (<10%), and an average of eight psychosocial factors. Independent of the severity of the burn, two psychosocial domains were strongly predictive of length of stay - coping with treatment and discharge planning - along with pre-existing psychosocial factors and family support.

CONCLUSION

A diversity of psychosocial factors was identified, highlighting the clinical complexity of this patient group. Given three domains of admission-related psychosocial factors were predictive of the length of patient stay, more targeted psychosocial interventions in these areas may ensure patients and their families are supported more effectively throughout an admission, and length of stay costs may also be reduced.

A Scoping Review on the Long-Term Outcomes in Persons with Adult-Acquired Burn Injuries

Adult-acquired burn injuries are a life-altering event that can lead to debilitating functional or psychological impairments. With advancements in health care resulting in decreased mortality rates, survivors of burn injuries can expect to live longer. This warrants a shift in focus to better understand what happens to adults once they are discharged from the hospital into the community. Therefore, the purpose of this scoping review was to map the literature regarding the long-term outcomes of community-dwelling adult-acquired burn survivors. A computer-assisted literature search was conducted on literature from January 1, 2000 to August 31, 2018 utilizing four large databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINHAL, and PsycINFO). Articles were included if they had a minimum of five individuals with a burn injury as a result of an accidental injury who were at least 18 years of age at the time of injury. Fifty-four articles were found suitable for inclusion in this review. The majority of studies were conducted in the United States and were longitudinal in design. Four themes were apparent from the articles: postburn complications, psychosocial outcomes, quality of life, and community participation. Data are lacking with respect to outcomes more than 5 years postburn as well as qualitative research. Furthermore, more literature is needed to understand the impact of postburn complications, coping strategies, and posttraumatic growth as well as barriers to community participation. Overall, there is an emerging body of literature that describes the long-term outcomes of adult-acquired burn survivors up to 5 years postburn.

Factors influencing psychological, social and health outcomes after major burn injuries in adults: cohort study protocol

INTRODUCTION

The goal of burn care is that 'the quality of the outcome must be worth the pain of survival'. More research is needed to understand how best to deliver care for patients with burns to achieve this aim. Loss of independence, function as well as loss of income for patients with burns and carers cause a significant burden at both individual and societal levels. Much is being done to advance knowledge in the clinical care field; however, there has been a paucity of research exploring psychosocial outcomes. This paper describes the study background and methods, as implemented in an Australian cohort study of psychosocial outcomes after major burn injuries.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

In this inception cohort study, a target sample of 230 participants, aged 18 years or over, admitted to a single statewide burns centre with a burn injury are identified by hospital staff for inclusion. Baseline survey data are collected either in person or by telephone within 28 days of the injury and participants then followed up with telephone interviews at 3, 6 and 12 months postburn. Injury and burns treatment information is collected from medical records. Social support is measured as a predictor variable using the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Outcome data are collected via standardised measures in the domains of Quality of Life (SF-12, EQ-5D, BSHS-B), depression (PHQ-9), post-traumatic stress disorder (PCL-C, PAS), community integration (CIQ-R) and Quality-Adjusted Life Years (EQ-5D). Additional survey questions measure life satisfaction, return to work and public services utilisation at 12 months postinjury. Data analysis methods will include analysis of variance, Pearson correlation and hierarchical multiple regression analyses.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Hospital-based and University of Queensland Human Research Ethics Committees have approved the protocol. Results from the study will be disseminated at national and international conferences, in peer-reviewed journals and in a doctoral thesis.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

Australia New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12616000828426). Retrospectively registered on 23 June 2016; pre-results.

Psychosocial adjustment following burns: An integrative literature review

INTRODUCTION

Burn care innovations have vastly reduced mortality rates and improved prognoses, fostering the need for multi-disciplinary input in holistic recovery. Consequently psychological and social considerations post-burn are included in National Burn Care Standards and have featured increasingly in burns literature.

AIM

To identify the key findings of the rapidly expanding literature base for psychosocial adjustment post-burn, highlighting the most important knowledge and future directions for both practice and research.

METHOD

MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycINFO, BNI, HMIC databases were searched from January 2003 to September 2013 using search terms regarding psychosocial adjustment post-burn. After exclusions 24 papers underwent critical appraisal.

RESULTS

Studies were categorised by the element of adjustment that they examined; psychopathology, quality of life, return to work, interpersonal, post-traumatic growth. Strengths, weaknesses, and significant findings within each category were presented.

DISCUSSION

Although psychopathology and quality of life were well-researched compared to other categories, all would benefit from methodological improvements such as sample size or dropout rates. Coping strategies, premorbid psychopathology, and personality consistently featured as predictors of adjustment, although research should now move from identifying predictors, to clarifying the concept and parameters of psychosocial adjustment while developing and evaluating interventions to improve outcomes.

The year in burns 2012

Approximately 2457 research articles were published with burns in the title, abstract, and/or keyword in 2012. This number continues to rise through the years; this article reviews those selected by the Editor of one of the major journals in the field (Burns) and his colleague that are most likely to have the greatest likelihood of affecting burn care treatment and understanding. As done previously, articles were found and divided into these topic areas: epidemiology of injury and burn prevention, wound and scar characterization, acute care and critical care, inhalation injury, infection, psychological considerations, pain and itching management, rehabilitation, long-term outcomes, and burn reconstruction. Each selected article is mentioned briefly with comment from the authors; readers are referred to the full papers for further details.

The 21st century burn care team

The 21st century burn care team epitomises integrated multidisciplinary care. The physical, psychological and socials needs of burn victims necessitates the close collaboration of a broad spectrum of health care professionals. The ultimate aim is to return the patient to the optimal level of physical and psychological health and social function. The modern burn care team must not only consider the staffing and structure of the team, but also the way in which the team is to be delivered to the patient. Furthermore, the 21st century burn care team must be willing to adapt and evolve during the likely NHS re-structuring that will come with the Health and Social Care Act 2012, as well as integrate with the new UK trauma networks. This paper discusses the staffing and structure of the 21st century burn care team along with the future challenges and opportunities it may be presented with.