The ACCWS Seal of Excellence Program

In 2014 the American College of Clinical Wound Specialists™ (ACCWS) established the Seal of Excellence Program. The ACCWS Seal of Excellence Program was created to inform both the clinical wound specialist and the consumer about products whose quality, safety, and effectiveness promote efficiency of use and function for advanced wound care practices and achieve excellent outcomes for wound healing. The  Program is strictly voluntary. In order to be granted the Seal each wound care product must meet requirements that are scientifically evaluated. Not every product is granted the Seal. The ACCWS Seal is awarded for a three-year period. The value of the Seal is two-fold:

• Firstly, and foremost, the American College of Clinical Wound Specialist (ACCWS) believes strongly that wound care providers, their patients and the public at large deserve current product information in order to ensure that ‘best practice decisions’ can be made regarding potential wound care outcomes. Clinical wound care providers encounter a myriad of decisions when selecting products for wound healing practices. The ACCWS Seal of Excellence program will identify products of exceptional quality – having met specific standards and determined to have fulfilled manufacturer’s claims – through the rigorous inquiry of the Scientific Committee. The conclusions reached by the Scientific Committee will facilitate the decision making and promote better outcomes for wound healing.
• Secondly, part of the mission of the College is to advocate, support and educate the credentialed wound specialist, the health care community and the public at large. Through the establishment of the Seal Program, the College will assure that providers and the public will make informed and better decisions about the products they purchase and use. The ACCWS believes that the Seal of Excellence is a unique service of critical value to both groups.