Survey of Patients with Hard-to-Heal Wounds

Introduction: To learn about the experiences of people who seek treatment for hard-to-heal wounds, we distributed a nationwide pilot survey, asking questions about the nature of their wound, how it shapes their daily lives, pathways to receiving care, and experiences with treatment. The long-term objective is to quantify the journey of patients with hard-to heal wounds to identify ideal intervention points that will lead to the best outcomes. This article summarizes the survey findings, implications, limitations, and suggestions for future research.Methods:Qualitative data was self-reported from patients with hard-to-heal wounds (open for 4 weeks or more) in a pilot chatbot survey, provided online in the US on Meta platforms (Facebook and Instagram) between 2021 and 2022.Results:Seven-hundred and eighty people responded to the US national pilot survey. Fifty-seven percent of patients delayed treatment because they believed their wound would heal on its own, and only 4% saw a wound care specialist. Respondents reported the cost of care as the most frequent reason for not following all a doctor’s treatment recommendations. Queries regarding quality of life (QoL) revealed that 65% said they have negative thoughts associated with their wound every few days or less. Nineteen percent of respondents said their wound had an odor, and 34% said odor had a major or severe negative impact on their self-confidence. Economically, nearly a quarter of respondents said having a wound led to a drop in their total household income, and 17% said their wound led to a change in their employment status.Discussion: A national pilot survey of people with hard-to-heal wounds reveals that many patients delay seeking professional assistance, and only a small minority see a wound care specialist. Suffering an ulcer even for a few months can have significant negative effects on a patient’s QoL. Patients frequently had negative thoughts associated with their wound, and odor compounds these negative effects leading to major or severe negative impacts on self-confidence. Households experienced a decline in income, from the direct reduction of patient employment, and the additional time spent by family members assisting in patient recovery. Thus, a variety of factors contribute to poor outcomes for patients with hard-to-heal wounds. To validate and extend these preliminary results, future surveys of patients with hard-to-heal wounds should focus on additional reasons patients do not seek professional help sooner. Assessment of patient socioeconomic variables should occur whenever wound closure stalls to improve health outcomes and QoL.References: