Proposed Topic (Most preferred): :
Enhancing Partnership with Patients and Community (Projects initiated to engage patients / carers / community to improve efficiency / quality of care)
Proposed Topic (Second preferred): :
Research and Innovations (new projects / technology / innovations / service models)
Authors (including presenting author) :
YIP KYL(1), Wu WSF(1), Ho CK(1), CHAN BY(1), LI CCD(1), LEUNG MFD(1), CHAN SLD(1), LI YC(1), LEUNG SH(1), WONG SM(2)
Affiliation :
(1)Family Medicine and General Out-patient Department, Kowloon Central Cluster; (2)Central Nursing Department, Queen Elizabeth Hospital;
Introduction :
VLUs contributed 14.5% of wound types in KCC GOPC Wound Clinic, requiring longer healing time, more dressing attendances and advance skill for traditional compression bandaging treatment. A non-experimental cross-sectional study conducted in 2019-2023, on 70 patients with VLUs suggested the early application of 3LTB at the primary wound care reduces treatment cost, ease to apply empowers patient engagement and improve treatment compliance, improves clinical outcomes and reduces GOPC dressing attendances.
Objectives :
To evaluate the effectiveness of early application of 3LTB for patients with VLUs in primary care setting.
Methodology :
All KCC GOPC nurses undergone training on 3LTB treatment conducted by Wound clinic trainers. Eligible patients with VLUs attending KCC GOPC for dressing change were introduced to apply 3LTB by primary care nurse in general wound care service. Patient education on self-application of 3LTB application with care information will be given in the first GOPC dressing attendance. Patient demographics and clinical outcomes were collected upon patient consent on Week 0, week 2 and Week 4.
Result & Outcome :
A total of 70 patients joined the study in September 2020 to April 2023. 65 of them completed 4 week study. 89.47% (n=51) of the patients had treatment compliance more than 8 hours per day at week 2 and week 4 after the intervention. Paired samples t-tests found significant decrease in ankle circumference (diff = -3.48 cm, p < 0.001), Pain score (diff = -2.69, p < 0.001) and wound size (diff = -4.30 cm2, p < 0.01) whereas 20 patients’ wound healed within 4 weeks.
With early application of the 3LTB, 3 clinical outcomes of patients with VLUs were significantly improved with ankle circumferences decreased, wound size decreased and pain score improved. Patient compliance on the 3LTB application were also maintained over the 4-week study. High patient compliance on 3LTB application supported 3LTB would produce less pain especially when VLU wound dressing covered under bandage and could maintain personal hygiene in Hong Kong with humid subtropical climate. Early application of the 3LTB in primary care setting achieve higher clinical efficiency and promote patient participative care.
