Using Patient‑Reported Experiences to Guide Foam Dressing Use in Hard‑to‑Heal Wounds
A review led by Kevin Woo and co-authors, published in *Journal of Wound Care* (Nov 2024), highlights the importance of incorporating patient-reported outcomes—such as pain, odor, itch, drainage, and self-care capabilities—when selecting foam dressings for chronic wounds. The expert panel calls for greater collaboration across clinical, research, and industry sectors to address these needs.
Key Highlights:
- Holistic Dressing Selection: Foam dressing choice must balance wound characteristics with patient experiences to improve quality of life and adherence. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
- Identified Outcome Domains: The review identifies five core categories—wound-related pain, odor, itch, exudate volume, and self-management capacity—as critical to patient-centered care. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
- Accountability Across Sectors: Authors urge clinicians, researchers, and industry to adopt shared responsibility in designing dressings that meet both clinical efficacy and patient comfort metrics. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}
- Population Impact: Hard-to-heal wounds affect approximately 1.67 per 1000 people globally and impose significant health and economic burdens. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}
By centering patient-reported experiences in product evaluation and development, this review promotes more person-focused wound care strategies and improved outcomes.
Read the full article in the Journal of Wound Care (via Wound Central).
Keywords:
patient-reported experience,
foam dressings,
hard‑to‑heal wounds,
wound‑related pain,
self‑management