An mHealth App for Decision-Making Support in Wound Dressing Selection (WounDS): Protocol for a User-Centered...

Area of Science:

• Mobile health technology
• Clinical decision support systems
• Wound care management

Background:

• Primary care physicians often lack confidence in wound care due to insufficient formal education.
• Existing electronic resources do not adequately support wound dressing selection decisions.
• Technology offers a promising avenue for knowledge translation in healthcare.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a prototype mobile health application, WounDS.
• To support clinical decision-making in selecting appropriate wound dressings.
• To present the development and evaluation plan for the WounDS app.

Main Methods:

• WounDS developed on the iOS platform with a focus on ease of use (under 30 seconds, under 5 taps).
• The app employs a series of binary decisions for wound assessment.
• The dressing selection algorithm is based on the Wound Bed Preparation Paradigm best practices.

Main Results:

• Current work focuses on implementation needs and pilot testing feasibility in clinical settings.
• Data collection via user trials, focus groups, and in-app metadata is ongoing.
• Future phases will assess impacts on clinical decision-making and patient outcomes.

Conclusions:

• WounDS facilitates knowledge translation and technology integration in clinical decision-making.
• The app has the potential to enhance provider competency in wound management.
• Improved wound healing and patient quality of life are anticipated through evidence-based dressing selection and care continuity.