Pain Relief at Dressing Change Qualitative Pilot

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Pain Relief Strategies for Dressing Change in Chronic Wounds - Qualitative Pilot Stage

• IRAS ID

  303094

• Contact name

  Richard Cooper

• Contact email

  richard.cooper@sheffield.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  University of Sheffield

• Duration of Study in the UK

  0 years, 3 months, 31 days

• Research summary

  A chronic wound is an open sore in the skin that takes a long time to heal, if at all, and can come back. Common types are bed sores, venous leg ulcers, and diabetic foot ulcers. These are managed differently but all usually need regular dressing changes. These dressing changes are often painful and distressing for patients. Current guidelines in England focus on healing the wound, and not managing pain at dressing change. This means there is currently no clear guidance on how people living with chronic wounds, their carer, or healthcare staff should manage pain at dressing change.
  This research has been commissioned by NIHR, who want to know about how to best manage this issue. This qualitative pilot is one of three parts of a larger project to find out what NIHR want to know. There will also be a systematic review of existing evidence and studies about what are effective and acceptable ways of managing pain at dressing change for chronic wounds. We will also be undertaking a survey across different places in England which will ask patients, some carers and healthcare professionals questions about pain management at dressing change. The survey will ask what pain relief strategies are currently being used, along with peoples’ use and experience of these. To know what questions to ask, we are first using a pilot qualitative interview stage. This ethics application relates only to this pilot stage which will involve talking to patients, some carers and healthcare staff about their experiences and views about managing pain at dressing change in chronic wounds. After analysing the interviews, we will develop themes and report on these, and use them to develop and pilot the survey. Eventually we would like to create guidance about this topic and publish our results.
  

• REC name

  London - City & East Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  21/PR/1547

• Date of REC Opinion

  16 Nov 2021

• REC opinion

  Favourable Opinion