Clinical studies and product evaluations: how to maximize their value

Nurses are faced with a panoply of wound care products with minimal scientific research to help them make science-based treatment choices. To aid their decision making, they are encouraged to ask for evidence of product effectiveness/efficacy or to conduct their own study or product evaluation. This article lists reviews of controlled studies on which to base wound care decisions and suggests ways to get the most reliable answers from low-budget trials. It provides wound care professionals with valuable tips on how to make even the simplest product evaluation count as a powerful tool.