RATIONALE

Wound care practices are documented using wound registries to record wound types and characteristics, track wound status, assess impact of interventions, evaluate outcomes, and cost effectiveness. Data from wound registries may also be used for research in wound care and healthcare resource planning. However, a standardized wound registry in the Philippines is lacking, necessitating the creation and development of our own Wound Registry Form, tailored to our experience.

METHODS

This study involved the development and validation of a Wound Registry Form. An initial survey and focus group discussion with wound care practitioners were done to develop the items included in the form. The form underwent content validation with a panel of experts. Pilot data collection with 75 patients was performed to determine the interrater reliability between General Surgery (GS) and Plastic Surgery (PS) residents in a tertiary hospital when assessing patients with wounds.

RESULTS

A Wound Registry Form containing 36 variables was developed. It demonstrated a high content validity index (1.0), and good interrater reliability. The General Surgery residents and Plastic Surgery residents did not differ significantly in describing the wound, and generally agree on the choice of wound dressing, and other treatment related characteristics –such as frequency of dressing changes, antibiotic use, and septic studies done. However there was a significant difference among the two groups in two aspects –1) wound exudate consistency, with majority of GS residents rating exudates to have high viscosity, while majority of PS residents rating the exudates as of low consistency (p < 0.01), and, 2) rationale for the type of dressing use – there is a higher percentage of GS residents considering price and availability primarily, whereas PS residents tend to weigh their dressing choices on the clinical indication for it (p < 0.01). No other significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of other parameters.

CONCLUSION

The Wound Registry Form demonstrated high content validity, and good interrater reliability. The form is a reliable data collection instrument that may be used in monitoringwound status and response to treatment, identifying trends in wound healing and management, analyzing interplay of patient and wound factors, determining effectiveness of wound care practices, and may contribute to wound care research and public health in the Philippines. Data from this tool may be used by multiple end users: by clinicians to provide evidence based wound care, by researchers who wish to explore factors contributing to the burden of wounds, by administrators who want to create an enhanced health record systems with standardized documentation of wound data, and by the public, including patients and their families, who wish to be more informed, and more proactive towards their healing.

Human ; Wounds And Injuries ; Wound Healing ; Surgery, Plastic ; General Surgery ; Exudates And Transudates ; Philippines