12 research outputs found
Reflection: patients’ experiences of being treated in a Leg Club setting
Patient experiences with wound care treatment are being recognised as central to prudent care. Leg Clubs provide community-based treatment, education and ongoing health promotion and care for people with leg-related problems. This article considers the growing evidence of patients’ experiences of being treated in a Leg Club setting. Six participants from a Leg Club setting were interviewed via a semi-structured interview, and interviews were transcribed verbatim and investigated for themes using interpretative phenomenological analysis in accordance to Smith et al (2009). An overarching theme, the holistic approach to treatment, was identified, with two subthemes: Leg Club education and a sense of autonomy and trust in Leg Club staff. This study revealed the importance of a holistic approach to treatment within a Leg Club setting, and adds to, and compliments, the body of evidence
Reducing SSI rates for women birthing by caesarean section
Surgical site infections (SSIs) are the most common type of
nosocomial infection, accounting for up to 20% of all hospitalacquired infections in Europe (European Centre for Disease
Prevention and Control [ECDPC], 2013). There are varying SSI rates
reported across the UK. In 2016, Public Health Wales reported an
overall 14-day SSI rate for women undergoing caesarean section of
4.35% — 83% of which were superficial infections and 92.5% were
detected after discharge (PHW, 2016). From 2015–2016, Aneurin
Bevan University Health Board (ABUHB) services experienced an
increase in the SSI rate for women birthing by caesarean section from
3.07% to 5.86% respectively. Therefore, a multifaceted approach to
quality improvement (ABUHB organisational method) was adopted
throughout the duration of 2017, with a view to implement by 2018.
The aim was to reduce SSIs for women birthing by caesarean section
in ABUHB. Interventions included the use of evidence-based practice
and guidelines, education and engagement among clinicians,
patients and staff, and the gradual implementation of Leukomed®
Sorbact® (Essity) post-operative dressings
Advanced therapeutic dressings for effective wound healing
Advanced therapeutic dressings that take active part in wound healing to achieve rapid and complete healing of chronic wounds is of current research interest. There is a desire for novel strategies to achieve expeditious wound healing due to the enormous financial burden worldwide. This paper reviews the current state of wound healing and wound management products, with emphasis on the demand for more advanced forms of wound therapy and some of the current challenges and driving forces behind this demand. The paper reviews information mainly from peer reviewed literature and other publicly available sources such as the FDA. A major focus is the treatment of chronic wounds including amputations, diabetic and leg ulcers, pressure sores, surgical and traumatic wounds (e.g. accidents and burns) where patient immunity is low and the risk of infections and complications are high. The main dressings include medicated moist dressings, tissue engineered substitutes, biomaterials based biological dressings, biological and naturally derived dressings, medicated sutures and various combinations of the above classes. Finally, the review briefly discusses possible prospects of advanced wound healing including some of the emerging approaches such as hyperbaric oxygen, negative pressure wound therapy and laser wound healing, in routine clinical care
HUG: A compassionate approach to designing for wellbeing in dementia care
Design can improve the quality of life of people living with dementia but creating successful design solutions is not simple, due to the complexity of the medical condition, and the ethical considerations of including those affected in design research and evaluation. This article describes research involving an interactive product, ‘HUG’, developed from academic research, to support the wellbeing of people living with advanced dementia, which is now commercially available. People affected by dementia were included at every stage in the design research process. The evaluation of HUG took place in both hospital and care home contexts with 40 participants living with dementia. In this paper, a qualitative hospital study is described, in which patients received a HUG on prescription. Findings reveal that although HUG was rejected by some, those patients who did accept it benefitted significantly. Not only did the device reduce distress, anxiety and agitation but it also helped with patient compliance in medical procedures, aspects of daily care and enhanced communication and socialisation. The Alzheimer’s Society’s accelerator partnership funding has enabled this product to be manufactured and made commercially available so that the benefits of this academic design research can be made more widely available to people living with dementia