Care needs of patients with chronic wounds for implementing a virtual care program: A qualitative study

Area of Science:

• Wound Care
• Digital Health
• Public Health

Background:

• Chronic wounds pose a global health challenge, necessitating innovative management strategies.
• Virtual care offers a promising solution for managing complex wounds and long-term patient follow-up.
• Understanding patient needs is crucial for successful remote chronic wound care implementation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the essential care needs of patients with chronic wounds.
• To inform the development of a virtual care program for remote chronic wound management.

Main Methods:

• Descriptive qualitative study utilizing conventional content analysis.
• Data gathered through focus groups with wound therapists and interviews with patients.
• Analysis performed using MAXQDA 10 software.

Main Results:

• Three primary categories of patient needs were identified for virtual care implementation.
• Needs include enhanced patient awareness regarding wound management.
• Other needs encompass health dimensions (physical, emotional, social) and specialized financial support (insurance).

Conclusions:

• Successful virtual care for chronic wounds hinges on addressing patient awareness, holistic health, and financial support.
• Improving patient education on wound care is vital.
• Integrating insurance coverage for wound care services is essential for program viability and patient access.