Quality of life assessment in chronic wound patients using the Wound-QoL and FLQA-Wk instruments

Abstract

Objective. To evaluate changes in the quality of life of patients with chronic wounds.
 Methods. Quantitative research with a cross-sectional design performed with 100 patients with chronic wounds from a university hospital and a Basic Health Unit in southern Brazil. The mean values of the domains of the instruments Wound Quality of Life (Wound-QoL) and Freiburg Life Quality Assessment Wound were compared with sociodemographic variables of age, sex and education.
 Results. The average age of the participants was 60.98 years old; 41% had diabetic ulcers and 83% treated the wounds for more than 24 months. The total quality of life value was below the mean with 37.50/100 with (Wound-QoL) and 44.20/100 with (FLQA-Wk). The variables of gender, and educational level were not correlated with either of the two instruments used to assess the quality of life. The age variable was significantly correlated with the satisfaction item of the FLQA-Wk.
 Conclusion. The quality of life of patients with chronic wounds was considered poor. The age variable was correlated with the satisfaction domain, showing that the older the age, the lower the satisfaction. The use of instruments to evaluate the quality of life of patients with chronic wounds may help an effective treatment plan.

A Descriptive Study to Assess Wellbeing, Quality of Life and Satisfaction of Omani Patients with Chronic Wounds

“…In this study, the predominant level of education was elementary and high school education. This is in line with the studies carried out in other places [26,27]. Lower levels of education may lead to extended recovery time because of lack of understanding of self-care management and non-adherence to the treatment protocol.…”

“…Participants in this study expressed a relatively low level of quality of life and low level of satisfaction with their overall quality of life. The ndings are similar with another research conducted across the world [27][28][29]. One possible reason could be due to a non-optimal care.…”

Health‐related quality of life and chronic wound characteristics among patients with chronic wounds treated in primary care: A cross‐sectional study in Singapore

“…41 However, findings from a Swedish study from a specialist wound centre on patients with venous leg ulcers did not find a correlation between age and HRQoL 42 and neither did a mixed aetiologies chronic wound study from three outpatient settings and one hospital setting in Brazil. 39 A possible explanation for this could be attributed to variations in patients' mean age between the studies, where the present study has a relatively low mean age that possibly affected HRQoL less compared to a sample with a high mean age over 70 years, as HRQoL generally declines by age. The differences between the findings from the present study and the other studies may also be related to the use of various HRQoL instruments.…”

“…The mean age 61.2 (SD: 4.6) of the patients with chronic wound in this study is similar to previous studies from Germany (65.3 years, SD: 14.8) 38 and Brazil (average 61.0 years). 39 However, it is lower than the reported age in an earlier study conducted in Singapore (median 74, IQR 63-84), which obtained data from a nationwide administrative claims database including admissions from all levels of care to public and private acute care hospitals. 5 The lower age of the participants in our study compared to in the above-mentioned Singaporean study may be because our study only recruited patients in primary care.…”

Single-Use Negative Pressure Wound Therapy for Chronic Wounds

“…Chronic wounds present a challenge for patients, clinicians, and health systems. [1][2][3][4][5] Characterized by impaired and delayed healing, chronic wounds can include a variety of ulcerative wounds, 1 as well as nonhealing surgical, traumatic, and other wounds. 6 Both wound care treatment and innovation have advanced over the past several decades.…”