Elastic Stocking and Compression Therapy Conductor

Abstract

Elastic clothes, such as elastic compression stockings and elastic bandages, which are medical devices, are widely used to treat varicose veins and venous ulcers of the lower extremities, preventing DVT and PE. In 2002, the Elastic Stocking Conductor Committee of the Japanese Society of Phlebology was founded and established an accreditation system of the Elastic Stocking Conductor. This committee aims to develop skills of the medical professionals who are familiar with and achieve mastery of the compression therapies and related devices, instructing and advising patients to wear. Since April of 2020, compression therapy for venous ulcers has been covered by health insurance according to the revision of the national medical payment system. To correspond to it, the committee has expanded the fulfilling content of a workshop, changed the name into “Elastic Stocking and Compression Therapy Conductor Workshop”, and renamed the certification as “Elastic Stocking and Compression Therapy Conductor”. In this review article, we present an outline of the committee’s tasks, the accreditation system, authorized textbooks, and the “Hirai Compression Therapy Award,” which have been established to enhance the academic research of compression therapy since 2013.