A Clinical Support App for routine wound management: reducing practice variation, improving clinician confidence and increasing formulary compliance

Wounds continue to be of a global concern. Therefore, a more focussed, evidence-based approach to wound assessment and management is required. The WOUND COMPASS (TM) Clinical Support App (CSA) is designed to support the health care professional with wound assessment and management at the point of care. This real-world pilot study aimed to determine the utility of the CSA during routine wound management, in multiple care settings. A non-interventional, real-world pilot programme of the CSA was conducted at four sites. Patients received routine wound management. The CSA was programmed to replicate the site's formulary for evidence-based wound management. Anonymised pre- and post-pilot clinician opinion surveys on useability and impact of the CSA were collected and reported. Wound Specialists (n = 7 [100%]) and Non-Wound Specialists (NWS) (n = 58 [82%]) indicated that competence and confidence in wound assessment were enhanced with use of the CSA (100%; 82%). Furthermore, practice variation was reduced because of a greater compliance to their local formulary (n = 7 [100%]; 79% [54%]). This real-world pilot shows the positive impact of the CSA, and the improvements that can be potentially realised via reduction in practice variation, improvement in NWSs confidence when managing wounds and increased formulary compliance. Key Messages Evidence based wound care is required to reduce practice variation. The WOUND COMPASS Clinical Support App (CSA) supports wound assessment and guides appropriate selection of wound products from the facilities product formulary, at the point of care. Wound Specialist and Non-Wound Specialists indicated both competence and confidence in wound assessments were enhanced with the use of CSA. CSA enabled reduction in practice variation due to greater compliance to the facilities product formulary.

Automated summary

This study validates the utility of the WOUND COMPASS Clinical Support App (CSA) in wound management, by enhancing healthcare professionals' competence and confidence in wound assessment, reducing practice variation and improving formulary compliance.