People’s definitions of healing and healed wound
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring definitions of healing and healed wounds by people living with venous leg ulcers and their informal caregivers
IRAS ID
307590
Contact name
Jo Dumville
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Manchester
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
NA, NA
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Venous leg ulcers (VLUs) are common, recurring open wounds of the lower leg that are often unpleasant and painful to patients, and can take several months to heal or not heal at all. Currently, many wound treatments are not supported by good quality evidence to guide decision making for health professionals and those affected by VLUs. One issue with research on VLUs is the outcomes that are measured. Wound healing is a complex process, in clinical records and research the healing process is often recorded by assessing changes to wound size or becoming closed (being healed). However, these are measures are defined by health professionals and researchers. There is limited current evidence around how healing and being healed are experienced by patients. It is important to gain insights into these patient experiences, to consider how health professionals communicate with patients about the progress of their wound and also to inform how we best define and collect data in wound care research.
This is a qualitative study involving patients with VLUs and their informal caregivers. The overarching aims of this study are to explore how people living with VLUs and their informal caregivers define wound healing and a healed wound, and to summarise factors viewed as constituting healing and being healed. We set out to interview 20 study participants (15 patients with VLUs and 5 caregivers) who experienced healing of VLUs attending a review appointment at the Tissue Viability Community Services in South Manchester. During the qualitative interviews we will ask the participants a series of questions about what they felt, saw and thought as their wounds were healing. We will also explore if participants attempted to measure their own wound healing and what signs and sensations were taken into consideration. All participants will attend a one-off interview.REC name
London - Hampstead Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/PR/1419
Date of REC Opinion
2 Dec 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion