Digital platforms and shared decision-making tools for home wound care: An integrative review

Wounds pose significant clinical and economic challenges, driven by ageing populations. Digital technologies, including telemedicine and mobile applications, offer remote wound assessment, monitoring, and treatment, improving outcomes and reducing costs while aiding patient involvement in decision-making. Alongside these technologies, shared decision-making tools, have been used to engage patients and caregivers in selecting appropriate care strategies based on evidence and personal preferences, highlighting their roles in supporting patient and caregiver engagement.

This review aims to summarise and critique literature on the use of digital platforms and shared decision-making tools by patients and families for home-based wound care.

This review was guided by Whittemore and Knafl's methodology for integrative review, focusing on digital platforms and shared decision-making tools for home-based wound care. A comprehensive database search was conducted in June and October 2024, and repeated in December 2025, covering both English-language (Web of Science, CINAHL, Cochrane, PsycINFO, Ovid Emcare) and Chinese-language databases (CNKI, VIP, Wan Fang). Searches included English and Chinese journal articles with no publication date restrictions. Eligible studies were full-text, peer-reviewed, published in English or Chinese, and focused on home wound care using digital platforms or shared decision-making tools. Exclusions included conference abstracts, opinion pieces, case studies, and low-quality studies, assessed using Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools.

This review included 35 articles covering studies from multiple countries. The methods included randomised-controlled trials, quasi-experimental studies, qualitative studies, cohort studies, and cross-sectional studies. Three types of digital tools applied to the management of these wound types and included the Internet of Things, specially designed applications, and social media. Digital tools are used for wound management, patient education, and remote consultation, with the clinical outcomes evaluated to include wound healing time, pain, recurrence, and hospitalisation rate. The included studies reviewed used a variety of tools to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention, such as wound assessment scales and quality of life scales, as well as exploring the impact of digital tools on costs and self-efficacy. Only two specifically addressed shared decision-making in home-based wound care.

This review highlights the diverse ways digital and shared decision-making tools, ranging from Internet of Things devices to mobile apps and social media platforms, are supporting wound care, particularly in home settings. These tools not only assist with wound monitoring and education but also facilitate shared decision-making, helping caregivers better manage patient care.

Review protocol not registered, which is consistent with current recommendations for integrative reviews.