My wound and I: patients' perspective

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Patient Care
• Wound Management

Background:

• Clinical photography is integral to patient care and wound management.
• Understanding patient perspectives is crucial for optimizing healthcare services.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate patient views on wound photography in an NHS outpatient clinic.
• To assess perceived personal benefits and wider applications of wound imaging.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire-based study involving patients undergoing wound care.
• Data collection on wound information, photography benefits, operator, and device preferences.

Main Results:

• All patients agreed clinical images provide a comprehensive wound record.
• Most patients found wound photography beneficial for monitoring healing and appreciated its wider uses.
• Clinical photographers were preferred imaging operators; device preference was less significant.

Conclusions:

• Patients view wound photography as beneficial for personal healing monitoring and broader healthcare applications.
• The current clinical photography service is highly rated by patients.
• Patient insights are valuable for developing and improving NHS wound care services.