Paper
Thursday, 20 July 2006
This presentation is part of : Strategies for Chronic Care Issues
A Retrospective Review and Patient Experiences with the Use of Vacuum Assisted Closure (V.A.C.) Therapy for Wounds in Complex Continuing Care Patients at SCO Health Service
Bonnie A. Hall, RN, MScN, GNC(C), Nursing Resource Team, SCO Health Service (Affiliation) University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada, Sylvia Ralphs-Thibodeau, RN, BA, Nurse-Led Collaborative Research Group, Elisabeth-Bruyere Research Institute and SCO Health Service, Ottawa, ON, Canada, and Josette Roussel, BScN, MEd, MSc, GNC, Nursing Resource Team, SCO Health Service (Affiliation), Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Learning Objective #1: state the descriptive factors of vaccuum assisted closure (VAC) wound therapy for patients in a complex continuing care centre.
Learning Objective #2: understand the experience of (VAC) therapy for a variety of pateints in a complex continuing care centre.
Wound care is an important therapy that is frequently required by complex continuing care (CCC) patients with skin ulcers, diabetic ulcers, and surgical wounds. Vacuum Assisted Closure (V.A.C.) is a form of negative pressure topical wound therapy that has recently been introduced into Ontario. This new health technology is both costly and technologically sophisticated and while promising, is based on limited evidence.

The primary purpose of the study is to increase understanding of how VAC therapy is used at SCO Health Service and some of the direct costs associated with it. Additionally, a qualitative component of the study is intended to offer insights into the patient experience of VAC therapy.

This descriptive study is a two-year retrospective chart review. The review will collect information on types of wounds, associated morbidity, patient outcomes, length of therapy, and reason for termination. The analysis will be limited to descriptive statistics. Associated direct care costs of V.A.C. therapy will be estimated based on the costs of dressings, auxiliary materials, and caregiver time.

Since there are potentially impacts on patients receiving VAC such as limitations of mobility and pain, a qualitative element is included. Semi-structured interviews with patients currently receiving VAC therapy will be used to explore the patient experience of V.A.C. therapy.

This study will provide essential information about how and to what extent VAC technology is being used for CCC patients at SCO Health Service. It will allow the budgeting of resources related to the use of this therapy including education of nursing staff. The results will help to build clinical guidelines for VAC therapy at SCO Health Service.

The qualitative element of this study will give insight into patients’ experiences with VAC therapy. This will help nurses to anticipate the additional care needs associated with the therapy and to provide informed support.

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See more of The 17th International Nursing Research Congress Focusing on Evidence-Based Practice (19-22 July 2006)