Clinical research on the use of bordered foam dressings in the treatment of complex wounds: A systematic review of reported outcomes and applied measurement instruments

Objective
The aim of this review article was to identify reported outcomes and measurement instruments used in clinical research on bordered foam dressings in the treatment of complex wounds.

Methods
MEDLINE (PubMed interface), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), EMBASE, and The Cochrane Library were systematically searched using a combination of key terms including; wounds, bordered foam dressing, and treatment. Studies were included if they (1) targeted an adult population, (2) addressed the treatment of complex wounds with a bordered foam dressing as the primary wound dressing, (3) were retrieved from original research, and (4) were published between 2000 and 2022. There were no restrictions on language or study design. Studies that focused primarily on the prevention of complex wounds were excluded. Data extraction included outcome domains, outcomes, instruments, time points, and outcome measures. The OMERACT Filter 2.0 was used as a conceptual framework for the extraction of outcomes.

Results
A total of 24 outcome domains and 82 outcomes were identified. The outcomes were categorised into five core areas: (1) impact on life, (2) dressing performance, (3) pathophysiological manifestations, (4) resource use, and (5) adverse events. Thirtynine outcomes (47.0%) were measured at more than one time point. The most frequently reported time point was ‘at the end of treatment’ (62.7%). Outcomes were measured using self-report instruments, clinical observations, and bio-physiological instruments.

Conclusion
This systematic review identified reported outcomes and measurement instruments in research on bordered foam dressings in the treatment of complex wounds. The variety and lack of consistency in terms of instruments, time points and outcome measurements made it difficult to compare data directly across different reported studies. A solution to the variety in outcome reporting across studies in complex wound care, and moreover for the treatment with bordered foam dressings, is the development of a Core Outcome Set (COS). The outcomes in this review article will inform the next steps of developing a COS, where patients, clinicians and researchers will be involved to decide on the final outcomes included in a COS for the treatment of complex wounds with bordered foam dressings

Aim

The aim of this review article was to identify reported outcomes and measurement instruments used in clinical research on bordered foam dressings in the treatment of complex wounds.

Contributors

Charlotte Raepsaet, Paulo Alves, Breda Cullen, Amit Gefen, Jose Luis Lazaro-Martínez, Hadar Lev-Tov, Bijan Najafi, Nick Santamaria, Andrew Sharpe, Terry Swanson, Kevin Woo, Dimitri Beeckman

Publication

Journal: Journal of Tissue Viability
Volume: 31
Issue:
Pages: 514 - 522
Year: 2022
DOI: 10.1016/j.jtv.2022.05.005

Further Study Information

Current Stage: Completed
Date:
Funding source(s): The current work of the International Wound Dressing Technology Expert Panel was supported by an educational grant from M ¨olnlycke Health Care (Gothenburg, Sweden).


Health Area

Disease Category: Wounds

Disease Name:

Target Population

Age Range: Unknown

Sex: Either

Nature of Intervention: Device

Stakeholders Involved

Study Type

- Systematic review of outcome measures/measurement instruments
- Systematic review of outcomes measured in trials

Method(s)

- Systematic review

A systematic review was undertaken following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA statement). The electronic databases MEDLINE (PubMed inter-face), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), EMBASE and The Cochrane Library were screened. Articles published no earlier than 2000 (or published between 2000 and 2022) were included