Reflection on a professional advisory group to inform the use of patient empowerment tools within an implementation science research project.

Professional advisory groups, with patient and public involvement (PPI) representatives, can be used for co-production within research projects. This paper aims to document the benefits and challenges of undertaking stakeholder and participant engagement for an implementation research project within NHS (National Health Service) Wales. A patient focused research project, initiated by clinicians, on the use of patient empowerment tools within standard patient care, used a professional advisory group to identify appropriate tools to use within the research proposal.

Application of the PAPERS Grading Criteria Within a Rapid Evidence Review to Determine the Psychometric and Pragmatic Properties of Patient Empowerment Tools.

Self-management of long-term conditions requires health professionals to understand and develop capabilities that empower the population they serve. A rapid evidence review was undertaken to assess the current evidence based on the psychometric properties of patient empowerment tools. MEDLINE was searched, and data were extracted for each publication and scored using a modified Psychometric and Pragmatic Evidence Rating Scale (PAPERS) evidence rating scale.

Neuromuscular electrostimulation on lower limb wounds.

The geko™ is a disposable neuromuscular electrostimulation (NMES) device intended to increase blood circulation and promote wound healing in a range of lower limb conditions. The purpose of this case series was to evaluate the therapeutic effect of the geko device on wound healing outcomes over an 8-week period. Thirty patients with non-healing wounds (≥ 12-week duration) of either venous leg ulceration (VLU), mixed leg ulceration (MLU) or diabetic foot ulceration aetiology were recruited from a local outpatient wound clinic in the South Wales area.

Use of a gelling fibre dressing in complex surgical or chronic wounds: a case series.

Objective: To evaluate the safety and performance of a gelling fibre dressing, with respect to wound exudate management, maceration and periwound skin conditions.

Method: Complex (non-healing) surgical or chronic wounds healing by secondary intention were treated with a gelling fibre dressing (Biosorb, Acelity) as part of a prospective, two-centre case series product evaluation study. Dressing performance was evaluated at each change, and weekly for up to four weeks or until the wound healed, if this was in less than four weeks.

Prevalence of risk factors for foot ulceration in a general haemodialysis population.

It is well documented that diabetic foot ulceration contributes to increased morbidity and mortality associated with renal replacement therapy. Much less is known about the risk of foot ulceration and lower limb amputation in the non-diabetic dialysis population. The aim of this study was to determine if the prevalence of risks factors for lower limb amputation in a stable haemodialysis population was greater in the diabetic cohort compared with the non-diabetic cohort.