ABSTRACT
We investigated nurses' experiences of hospital-acquired pressure injury (PI) prevention in acute care services to better understand how PI prevention may be optimised. We used the Theoretical Domains Framework to systematically identify barriers and enablers to evidence-based preventive practices as required by the International Guideline. This study was one element of a complex capacity building project on PI surveillance and prevention within the acute health service partners of Monash Partners Academic Health Science Centre, an accredited academic health partnership located in Melbourne, Australia. We adopted a qualitative descriptive design. We interviewed 32 nurses that provided care in intensive care units, general wards and COVID wards of four acute care services. Nurses were recruited from four large acute care services (three public, one private) located in Melbourne. Most of them worked with patients who were at high risk of hospital-acquired PI on a daily basis. Interview transcripts were coded and analysed using thematic analysis guided by the Theoretical Domains Framework. The domains referred to most frequently by all participants included: Knowledge, Skills, Social/Professional Role and Identity, Beliefs about Capabilities, and Environmental Context and Resources. The key barriers discussed by nurses included gaps in nurses' knowledge and skills related to identification and staging of PI, heavy nursing workload and inadequate staffing levels, stigma and self-blame related to PI identification, and exacerbating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Main facilitators discussed were training programmes, nursing audits and feedback, and teamwork. Participants suggested improvements including accessible and tailored training, visual reminders, and addressing heavy workloads and emotional barriers nurses face. Investing in tailored training initiatives to improve nurses' knowledge and organisational changes to address low level staffing and heavy workloads are urgently needed to support nurses in delivering optimal care and preventing hospital-acquired PI.
Subject(s)
Pressure Ulcer , Qualitative Research , Humans , Pressure Ulcer/prevention & control , Victoria , Male , Female , Adult , COVID-19/prevention & control , Nursing Staff, Hospital/psychology , Middle Aged , Attitude of Health Personnel , Iatrogenic Disease/prevention & controlABSTRACT
AIM(S): To: (1) explore current best practices for hospital-acquired pressure injury prevention in high BMI patients; (2) summarize nurses' experiences in preventing and managing them; (3) explore the association between a high BMI and occurrence and severity of pressure injury. DESIGN: Exploratory. METHODS: Scoping review. DATA SOURCES: Ovid MEDLINE, EBSCO CINAHL Plus, JBI Evidence Synthesis, Scopus, Embase, clinical registries and grey literature (search dates: January 2009 to May 2021). RESULTS: Overall, 1479 studies were screened. The included studies were published between 2010 and 2022. Five interventional studies and 32 best practice recommendations (Objective 1) reported low-quality evidence. Findings of thematic analysis reported in nine studies (Objective 2) identified nurses' issues as insufficient bariatric equipment, inadequate staffing, weight bias, fatigue, obese-related terminology issues, ethical dilemmas and insufficient staff education in high BMI patients' pressure injury prevention. No association between hospital-acquired pressure injury occurrence and high BMI were reported by 18 out of 28 included studies (Objective 3). CONCLUSION: Quality of evidence was low for the interventional studies and best practice recommendations. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND/OR PATIENT CARE: Current (2019) International Pressure Injury Guideline to be used despite the low quality of evidence of most best practice recommendations. IMPACT STATEMENT: This study addressed hospital-acquired pressure injury prevention in high BMI patients. Greater proportion of studies in this review found no association between high BMI and occurrence of hospital-acquired pressure injury. Nurses need educational interventions on pressure injury prevention in high body mass index people, sufficient staffing for repositioning and improved availability of bariatric equipment. REPORTING METHOD: We adhered to relevant EQUATOR guidelines, PRISMA extension for scoping reviews. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contribution. WHAT DOES THIS PAPER CONTRIBUTE TO THE WIDER GLOBAL CLINICAL COMMUNITY?: Larger clinical trials are needed on repositioning frequency, support surfaces, prophylactic dressings and risk assessment tools to inform clinical practice guidelines on pressure injury prevention in high BMI people. PROTOCOL REGISTRATION: Wound Practice and Research (https://doi.org/10.33235/wpr.29.3.133-139).
Subject(s)
Pressure Ulcer , Humans , Pressure Ulcer/prevention & control , Pressure Ulcer/epidemiology , Body Mass Index , Bandages , HospitalsABSTRACT
We aimed to explore managerial and project staff perceptions of the pilot implementation of an algorithm-supported care navigation model, targeting people at risk of hospital readmission. The pilot was implemented from May to November 2017 at a Victorian health service (Australia) and provided to sixty-five patients discharged from the hospital to the community. All managers and the single clinician involved participated in a semi-structured interview. Participants (n = 6) were asked about their perceptions of the service design and the enablers and barriers to implementation. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed according to a framework approach, using inductive and deductive techniques. Constructed themes included the following: an algorithm alone is not enough, the health service culture, leadership, resources and the perceived patient experience. Participants felt that having an algorithm to target those considered most likely to benefit was helpful but not enough on its own without addressing other contextual factors, such as the health service's capacity to support a large-scale implementation. Deductively mapping themes to the integrated Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (i-PARIHS) framework highlighted that a formal facilitation would be essential for future sustainable implementations. The systematic identification of barriers and enablers elicited critical information for broader implementations of algorithm-supported models of care.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Care navigation is commonly used to reduce preventable hospitalisation. The use of Electronic Health Record-derived algorithms may enable better targeting of this intervention for greater impact. AIMS: To evaluate if community-based Targeted Care Navigation, supported by an Electronic Health Record-derived readmission risk algorithm, is associated with reduced rehospitalisation. METHODS: A propensity score matching cohort (5 comparison to 1 intervention cohort ratio) study was conducted in an 850-bed Victorian public metropolitan health service, Australia, from May to November 2017. Admitted acute care patients with a non-surgical condition, identified as at-risk of hospital readmission using an Electronic Health Record-derived readmission risk algorithm provide by the state health department, were eligible. Targeted Care Navigation involved telephone follow-up support provided for 30 days post-discharge by a registered nurse. The hazard ratio for hospital readmission was calculated at 30, 60 and 90 days post-discharge using multivariable Cox Proportional Hazards regression. RESULTS: Sixty-five recipients received care navigation and were matched to 262 people who did not receive care navigation. Excellent matching was achieved with standardised differences between groups being <0.1 for all 11 variables included in the propensity score, including the readmission risk score. The Targeted Care Navigation group had a significantly reduced hazard of readmission at 30 days (hazard ratio 0.34; 95% confidence interval: 0.12, 0.94) compared with the comparison group. The effect size was reduced at 60 and 90 days post-discharge. CONCLUSION: We provide preliminary evidence that Targeted Care Navigation supported by an Electronic Health Record-derived readmission risk algorithm may reduce 30-day hospital readmissions.
Subject(s)
Patient Discharge , Patient Readmission , Humans , Aftercare , Hospitalization , Risk Factors , Retrospective StudiesABSTRACT
Aim: To explore the relationship between physical activity levels and wound healing and recurrence in people with venous leg ulcers. Methods: Questionnaires and medical records were used to collect data, with responses used to group participants into different physical activity groups. The differences in healing and recurrence outcomes of ulcers among different physical activity groups were compared using Chi-square, Kaplan Meier survival analysis, Cox proportional hazards regression analysis, and Kruskal-Wallis test. To measure the strength of the association between physical activity levels and patient outcomes, Spearman's Rho tests were used. We used descriptive analysis to examine how physical activity levels change over 24 weeks. Results: Participants were classified into four distinct groups based on physical activity levels reported at baseline and week 12. The survival analysis showed higher physical activity level was associated with a shorter time to healing (log-rank test = 14.78, df = 3; p = 0.002). The persistently moderate-to-vigorous group had a 7.3-fold increased likelihood of healing compared to the persistently sedentary group. High levels of physical activity were also associated with a better quality of life score at baseline (ρ = 0.41, p < 0.000), week 12 (ρ = 0.36, p < 0.001), and week 24 (ρ = 0.49, p < 0.000). Most participants (48.5%) reported low levels of physical activity, which remained low for the entire study period. Conclusion: An increased level of physical activity was linked to a shorter healing time and enhanced quality of life. Low levels of physical activity appeared common among people with venous leg ulcers.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Venous leg ulceration is caused by chronic venous insufficiency and affects millions of adults worldwide who suffer prolonged healing episodes and due to underlying pathophysiology ulcer recurrence is common after healing. Compression therapy is the current best practice for managing venous leg ulcer since it provides constant pressure, which promotes circulation in the lower limbs. Nevertheless, the healing outcomes of venous leg ulcer vary considerably. Physical activity may be an effective adjunct treatment to improve ulcer healing outcomes. However, a low level of physical activity level is observed in this cohort. OBJECTIVE: To identify the barriers and enablers that affect physical activity participation in people with venous leg ulcers. DESIGN: A systematic review of qualitative studies using the mega-aggregation approach. METHODS: We followed the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for systematic reviews of qualitative evidence. We searched MEDLINE, CINAHL PLUS, PsycINFO and Emcare to identify relevant articles published in English from 1806 to January 2021. Two reviewers independently screened and selected articles against inclusion criteria. Eligible studies were appraised for methodological quality using Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal tool. Qualitative data were extracted manually. Theoretical Domain Framework was used to map barriers and enablers to physical activity participation. RESULTS: Eighteen studies were included in this review. The main barriers and enablers identified in this review that influence physical activity engagement in people with venous leg ulcers are as follows: understanding the chronic nature of venous leg ulcers and the reasons for undertaking physical activities; specific beliefs that people hold about their own capabilities; pain related to wound and compression therapy; information and supports received from treating clinicians; feeling of fear and embarrassment. The confidence level for most of the synthesis findings was moderate to low. CONCLUSIONS: Our review identified people with venous leg ulcers experience significant challenges preventing them from engaging in physical activity. Factors such as knowledge of physical activity, availability of information, and self-belief may be particularly important for promoting physical activity in this cohort. Future interventions are recommended to provide educational information and clear instructions to improve participation. Further research is needed to explore potential interventions that may change physical activity behaviour in this population group. REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42021238579.
Subject(s)
Leg Ulcer , Varicose Ulcer , Adult , Exercise , Humans , Qualitative Research , Ulcer , Varicose Ulcer/therapy , Wound HealingABSTRACT
Chronic wounds, such as venous leg ulcers, are difficult to treat and can reduce the quality of life for patients. Clinical trials have been conducted to identify the most effective venous leg ulcer treatments and the clinical factors that may indicate whether a wound will successfully heal. More recently, mathematical modelling has been used to gain insight into biological factors that may affect treatment success but are difficult to measure clinically, such as the rate of oxygen flow into wounded tissue. In this work, we calibrate an existing mathematical model using a Bayesian approach with clinical data for individual patients to explore which clinical factors may impact the rate of wound healing for individuals. Although the model describes group-level behaviour well, it is not able to capture individual-level responses in all cases. From the individual-level analysis, we propose distributions for coefficients of clinical factors in a linear regression model, but ultimately find that it is difficult to draw conclusions about which factors lead to faster wound healing based on the existing model and data. This work highlights the challenges of using Bayesian methods to calibrate partial differential equation models to individual patient clinical data. However, the methods used in this work may be modified and extended to calibrate spatiotemporal mathematical models to multiple data sets, such as clinical trials with several patients, to extract additional information from the model and answer outstanding biological questions.
Subject(s)
Quality of Life , Varicose Ulcer , Humans , Bayes Theorem , Calibration , Varicose Ulcer/therapy , Wound Healing , Models, TheoreticalABSTRACT
The primary objective of this systematic review was to identify which quality of life instruments have been applied in published studies of patients with active venous leg ulcers. Our secondary objective was to map the measurement properties of each identified quality of life instrument and to inform future recommendations for clinical practice and research. We searched CINAHL, Ovid Medline, Ovid Emcare and ProQuest to identify studies published from 1 January 2000 to 31 July 2021. Eleven studies that utilised quality of life instruments in adults with active venous leg ulcers met the inclusion criteria. Thirteen quality of life instruments were identified as some studies utilised both generic and condition-specific quality of life instruments. Six out of nine (6/9) instruments were rated 'very good' of methodological quality on internal consistency; 1/7 studies rated 'adequate' on reliability; 2/4 rated 'adequate' on content validity; 3/6 studies rated 'adequate' on structural validity; 5/6 rated 'adequate' on hypotheses testing for construct and 2/6 studies rated 'adequate' on responsiveness. There is limited evidence of measurement properties of quality of life instruments for people with active venous leg ulcers. The Venous Leg Ulcer Quality of Life Questionnaire (VLU-QoL) could be provisionally recommended for use although from our review it is clear further studies to assess VLU-QoL measurement properties are needed to inform future recommendations for clinical practice and research.
Subject(s)
Quality of Life , Varicose Ulcer , Adult , Humans , Reproducibility of Results , Surveys and Questionnaires , Varicose Ulcer/therapy , Wound HealingABSTRACT
Healing time is protracted and ulcer recurrence is common in patients with venous leg ulcers. Although compression is the mainstay treatment, many patients do not heal timely. Physical activity may be a clinically effective adjunct treatment to compression to improve healing outcomes. This scoping review provides a broad overview of the effect of physical activity as an adjunct treatment to compression on wound healing and recurrence. We followed the six-step framework developed by Arksey and O'Malley. We searched electronic databases and trial registration websites for relevant studies and ongoing trials. Two authors independently screened and selected articles. Findings were presented in a descriptive statistical narrative summary. We consulted and presented our findings to the wound consumer group to ensure the relevance of our study. Physical activity interventions in 12 out of the 16 eligible studies consisted of only one component, eight studies were resistance exercises, three studies reported ankle and/or foot range of motion exercises, and one study reported aerobic/walking exercises. The remaining four studies involved multicomponent exercise interventions. Resistance exercise combined with ankle and/or foot range of motion exercise minimised ulcer size on day 12 (intervention group: 4.55 ± 1.14 cm2 vs. control group: 7.43 ± 0.56 cm2 ) and improved calf muscle pump performance on day 8 (ejection fraction: 40%-65%; residual volume fraction: 56%-40%). We identified one study that reported ulcer recurrence rate with no clinical difference in the intervention group versus the control group (i.e., 12% in intervention vs. 5% in control). Our review identified that resistance exercise was the most common type of physical activity intervention trialled in the published literature. Resistance exercise combined with ankle and/or foot range of motion exercise appears to be effective adjunct treatments; however, the overall evidence is still relatively weak as most programmes had a short intervention period which limited clinical outcomes.
Subject(s)
Varicose Ulcer , Wound Healing , Exercise , Humans , Leg , Ulcer , Varicose Ulcer/therapySubject(s)
COVID-19 , Pressure Ulcer , Humans , Hospitals , Patient Positioning , Prone Position , SARS-CoV-2ABSTRACT
A hospital-acquired pressure injury (HAPI) is a common complication across the globe. The severity of HAPI ranges from skin redness and no skin breakdown to full skin and tissue loss, exposing the tendons and bones. HAPI can significantly impact the quality of life. In addition to the human cost, this injury carries a high economic burden with the cost of treatment far outweighing the preventative measures. The HAPI rates are a key indicator of health services performance. Globally, healthcare services aim to reduce its incidence. In Australia, the federal health minister has prioritised the need for improvement in HAPI surveillance and prevention. Capacity building is vital to optimise pressure injury (PI) surveillance and prevention in acute care services. In this perspective article, we provide a framework for capacity building to optimise HAPI prevention and surveillance in a large cross-sector collaborative partnership in Australia. This framework comprises six key action areas in capacity building to optimise the HAPI outcomes, such as research, organisational development, workforce development, leadership, collaboration, and consumer involvement.
Subject(s)
Pressure Ulcer , Capacity Building , Humans , Incidence , Pressure Ulcer/epidemiology , Quality of Life , Retrospective StudiesABSTRACT
AIM: Venous leg ulcers are lower limb skin ulcers characterised by a cycle of healing and recurrence due to underlying chronic venous insufficiency. While compression improves healing outcomes, many ulcers do not heal. As a daily 300 mg oral dose of aspirin in conjunction with compression may improve healing outcomes, we investigated the effect of adjuvant aspirin on venous leg ulcer healing in participants already receiving compression. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a prospective, randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, clinical trial (known as ASPiVLU). Participants were recruited from six wound clinics in Australia. We screened 844 participants. Community-dwelling adult participants identified at six hospital outpatient clinics and clinically diagnosed with a venous leg ulcer present for 6+ weeks were eligible between April 13, 2015 to June 30, 2018. We randomised 40 participants (n = 19 aspirin, n = 21 placebo) and evaluated against the primary outcome. There were no dropouts. Ten serious adverse events in six participants were recorded. None were study related. The primary outcome measure was healing at 12 weeks based on blinded assessment. RESULTS: We found no difference in the number of ulcers healed at 12 weeks between the intervention and control groups. CONCLUSION: This study could not detect whether or not aspirin affected VLU healing speed. This is likely because we recruited fewer participants than expected due to the high number of people with venous leg ulcers in Australia who were already taking Aspirin; future research should investigate other adjuvant therapies or different study designs.
Subject(s)
Aspirin , Varicose Ulcer , Adult , Aspirin/therapeutic use , Compression Bandages , Humans , Prospective Studies , Varicose Ulcer/drug therapy , Wound HealingABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to understand which factors influence patients' adherence to venous leg ulcer treatment recommendations in primary care. We adopted a qualitative study design, conducting phone interviews with 31 people with venous leg ulcers in Melbourne, Australia. We conducted 31 semi-structured phone interviews between October and December 2019 with patients with clinically diagnosed venous leg ulcers. Participants recruited to the Aspirin in Venous Leg Ulcer Randomized Control Trial and Cohort study were invited to participate in a qualitative study, which was nested under this trial. We applied the Theoretical Domains Framework to guide the data analysis. The following factors influenced patients' adherence to venous leg ulcer treatment: understanding the management plan and rationale behind treatment (Knowledge Domain); compression-related body image issues (Social Influences); understanding consequences of not wearing compression (Beliefs about Consequences); feeling overwhelmed because it's not getting better (Emotions); hot weather and discomfort when wearing compression (Environmental Context and Resources); cost of compression (Environmental Context and Resources); ability to wear compression (Beliefs about Capabilities); patience and persistence (Behavioral Regulation); and remembering self-care instructions (Memory, Attention and Decision Making). The Theoretical Domains Framework was useful for identifying factors that influence patients' adherence to treatment recommendations for venous leg ulcers management. These factors may inform development of novel interventions to optimize shared decision making and self-care to improve healing outcomes. The findings from this article will be relevant to clinicians involved in management of patients with venous leg ulcers, as their support is crucial to patients' treatment adherence. Consultation with patients about VLU treatment adherence is an opportunity for clinical practice to be targeted and collaborative. This process may inform guideline development.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this review is to synthesize available qualitative evidence to provide an overview of the barriers and enablers that influence physical activity participation in patients with venous leg ulcers. INTRODUCTION: Management of venous leg ulcers is a costly and time-consuming process in clinical settings due to the protracted healing process. Physical activity may be a useful adjuvant treatment to improve healing outcomes. However, a low level of physical activity is still observed in patients with venous leg ulcers and the reasons are multifactorial. A comprehensive understanding of the barriers and enablers to physical activity participation from different perspectives is crucial to develop workable interventions and achieve desired healing outcomes. INCLUSION CRITERIA: The review will consider qualitative studies that focus on evidence concerning the barriers and enablers influencing physical activity level in adults diagnosed with venous leg ulcers in all settings. METHODS: Relevant studies will be searched in MEDLINE, CINAHL Plus, PsycINFO, and Emcare databases. Only studies published in English will be considered, with no date limits. Two independent reviewers will perform title and abstract screening and the full text of potential eligible studies will be retrieved and assessed against the inclusion criteria. All eligible studies will be appraised for methodological quality. Qualitative data will be extracted manually by two independent reviewers. A meta-aggregation approach will be used to pool and categorize findings from the included studies. The ConQual approach will be used to grade the final synthesized findings to determine confidence in the analysis findings. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION NUMBER: PROSPERO CRD42021238579.
Subject(s)
Varicose Ulcer , Adult , Environment , Exercise , Humans , Qualitative Research , Systematic Reviews as Topic , Varicose Ulcer/therapy , Wound HealingABSTRACT
All open wounds are often colonized by commensal microbes as a loss of skin can provide a ready portal of entry for microorganisms. Although the wound microbiota is known to be associated with wound infection and with delayed healing, the factors related to the formations of wound microbiota contributing to such poor clinical outcomes are not clear and have not led to effective infection prevention interventions. This review aimed to scope the factors related to the composition and diversity of wound microbiota that have been investigated using culture-independent molecular methods. Original articles on wound microbiota published from January 1986 to February 2020 were included in this review. Thirty-one articles met the inclusion criteria and were grouped according to wound types: chronic, acute, and animal model wounds. The factors identified were categorized according to patient characteristics, wound characteristics, treatment, and sampling. Although some studies reported the effect size of the factors, the values were small. No studies elucidated the mechanism of wound microbiota formation. The results of this scoping review highlight that the factors associated with the diversity of wound microbiota are poorly understood and that further studies are needed.
Subject(s)
Microbiota/genetics , Skin/microbiology , Wound Infection/microbiology , Aged , Animals , Autoimmune Diseases/immunology , Autoimmune Diseases/pathology , Biodiversity , Diabetes Mellitus/immunology , Diabetes Mellitus/pathology , Female , Humans , Kidney Failure, Chronic/immunology , Kidney Failure, Chronic/pathology , Male , Middle Aged , Models, Animal , Skin/pathology , Whole Genome Sequencing/methods , Wound Healing/genetics , Wound Healing/immunology , Wound Infection/geneticsABSTRACT
Chronic wounds are defined as "hard-to-heal" wounds that are caused by disordered mechanisms of wound healing. Chronic wounds have a high risk of infection and can form biofilms, leading to the release of planktonic bacteria, which causes persistent infections locally or remotely. Therefore, infection control and removal of the biofilm in chronic wounds are essential. Recently, ultrasonic debridement was introduced as a new method to reduce infection and promote the healing of chronic wounds. This scoping review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of ultrasonic debridement on the changes in bacteria and biofilms, and consequently the wound healing rate of chronic wounds. A total of 1021 articles were identified through the database search, and nine papers were eligible for inclusion. Findings suggest that non-contact devices are useful for wound healing as they reduce the inflammatory response, although the bacterial load is not significantly changed. Ultrasonic debridement devices that require direct contact with the wound promote wound healing through reduction of biofilm or bacterial load. The optimum settings for ultrasonic debridement using a non-contact device are relatively consistent, but the settings for devices that require direct contact are diverse. Further studies on ultrasonic debridement in chronic wounds are required.
Subject(s)
Biofilms , Debridement/methods , Ultrasonics , Bacteria , HumansABSTRACT
Recruitment to wound care clinical trials is challenging and a better understanding of patient decisions to participate has the potential to influence recruitment success. We conducted 31 semi-structured telephone interviews of patients who participated in the Aspirin in Venous Leg Ulcer (ASPiVLU) randomised controlled trail (RCT) or ASPiVLU cohort study. Data were coded and analysed using thematic analysis. We identified four key themes: (a) "I participated to help others"; (b) "I participated in research to thank those who cared for me"; (c) "I participated to receive better care"; and (d) "I participated to have a say on what works." These themes became basic elements for the Rationale for Research Participation Framework that we have developed to improve the participant recruitment process for clinical trials in wound care.
Subject(s)
Leg Ulcer , Motivation , Patient Participation/psychology , Varicose Ulcer , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Aspirin/therapeutic use , Female , Humans , Leg Ulcer/therapy , Male , Middle Aged , Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic , Varicose Ulcer/therapy , Wound HealingABSTRACT
Venous Leg Ulcers cost Australia's healthcare system millions yearly, as they are underdiagnosed, and possibly undertreated. Most Venous Leg Ulcers are seen in general practice. However, it is currently unknown as to what treatment actions are most common in these contexts. Understanding how they are managed in these settings can improve healthcare delivery and patient outcomes. Using cross-sectional general practitioner patient encounter data collected April 2006 to March 2016 from the Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health program, a continuous national study of general practice clinical activity in Australia, we aimed to describe the characteristics of venous leg ulcer management by general practitioners in Australia. Among the 972 100 general practitioner-patient encounters recorded, 3604 (0.34%) involved management of VLU. Male general practitioners managed Venous Leg Ulcers significantly more often than female general practitioners. Most Venous Leg Ulcers were treated via dressings (76%) and/or pharmacological treatments (25.7%), with few patients receiving the best practice treatment of medical compression (2.1%) or referral (4.9%). Patients with new (first visit) Venous Leg Ulcers were more likely to receive pharmacological treatments and to be referred elsewhere, and less likely to receive dressings than patients receiving follow-up care. There appears to be a large gap between best practice guidelines and actual Venous Leg Ulcers treatments, as referrals and appropriate treatment was low. Further longitudinal studies are needed to determine the effectiveness of care for people with Venous Leg Ulcers who are managed by general practitioners.
Subject(s)
General Practitioners , Guideline Adherence , Practice Patterns, Physicians' , Varicose Ulcer/therapy , Adolescent , Adrenal Cortex Hormones/therapeutic use , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Analgesics, Opioid/therapeutic use , Ankle Brachial Index/statistics & numerical data , Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use , Anti-Infective Agents, Local/therapeutic use , Australia , Bandages/statistics & numerical data , Biopsy/statistics & numerical data , Child , Child, Preschool , Compression Bandages/statistics & numerical data , Cross-Sectional Studies , Culture Techniques , Female , Fibrinolytic Agents/therapeutic use , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Male , Middle Aged , Patient Education as Topic , Practice Guidelines as Topic , Referral and Consultation/statistics & numerical data , Sex Factors , Ultrasonography/statistics & numerical data , Young AdultABSTRACT
Wound management is a significant and growing issue worldwide. Knowledge of dressing products and clinical expertise in dressing selection are two major components in holistic wound management to ensure evidence-based wound care. With expanding global market of dressing products, there is need to update clinician knowledge of dressing properties in wound care. Optimal wound management depends on accurate patient assessment, wound diagnosis, clinicians' knowledge of the wound healing process and properties of wound dressings. We conducted a comprehensive review of the physical properties of wound dressing products, including the advantages and disadvantages, indications and contraindications and effectiveness of first-line interactive/bioactive dressing groups commonly used in clinical practice. These include semipermeable films, foams, hydroactives, alginates, hydrofibers, hydrocolloids, and hydrogels. In making decisions regarding dressing product selection, clinicians need to ensure a holistic assessment of patient and wound etiology, and understand dressing properties when making clinical decisions using wound management guidelines to ensure optimal patient outcomes. This review has highlighted there is lack of high quality evidence and the need for future well designed trials.
ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to gain a better understanding of the venous leg ulcer (VLU) management in primary health care settings located in Melbourne metropolitan and rural Victoria, Australia. We explored health professionals' perspective on the use of the Australian and New Zealand Venous Leg Ulcer Clinical Practice Guideline (VLU CPG) to identify the main challenges of VLU CPG uptake in clinical practice. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 general practitioners (GPs) and 20 practice nurses (PNs), including two Aboriginal health nurses. The Theoretical Domains Framework guided data collection and analysis. Data were analysed using a theory-driven analysis. We found a lack of awareness of the VLU CPGs, which resulted in suboptimal knowledge and limited adherence to evidence-based recommendations. Environmental factors, such as busy nature of clinical environment and absence of handheld Doppler ultrasound, as well as social and professional identity factors, such as reliance on previous experience and colleague's advice, influenced the uptake of the VLU CPGs in primary care. Findings of this study will inform development of interventions to increase the uptake of the VLU CPG in primary care settings and to reduce the evidence-practice gap in VLU management by health professionals.