Fundamental care intervention for the prevention of venous ulcer recurrence: An e-Delphi study

To validate the content of a fundamental care intervention to prevent venous ulcer recurrence.

Methodological study using a modified Delphi method (e-Delphi). An e-Delphi panel was conducted with national experts with clinical experience and/or research expertise in wound care between December 2025 and January 2026. The initial intervention matrix submitted to the expert panel was derived from previous studies and informed by Fundamental Care. An 80% agreement criterion was established as the consensus criterion, and other statistical tests were also performed.

Two rounds were conducted. In the first round, 29 experts participated, evaluating an intervention organized into 3 dimensions (relationship, integration of care, and context of care) with a total of 113 items. In the second round, participation decreased slightly to 25 experts, who analyzed 124 items organized according to the same 3 dimensions. In the second round, consensus exceeded 80% for each question, and decreases in the standard deviation and interquartile range (IQR) indicated consensus on all items. Kendall's W also fell within the interval that indicates the same level of consensus.

The intervention design was supported by previous studies, enabling the identification of evidence and the design of the intervention for people at risk of recurrence. Experts reached consensus on a fundamental care intervention to prevent venous ulcer recurrence, integrating relational, psychosocial, physical, and contextual components.