Open Collections

Evaluating patient satisfaction in the care of ulcerating metastatic skin lesions

University of British Columbia

The purpose of this thesis was two-fold: first, to develop a Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire which reflects patient satisfaction with dressings used in the care of ulcerating metastatic skin lesions; and second, to evaluate patient satisfaction and patient preference with two types of dressings: Mesalt dressings and continuous wet saline dressings. The Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire was developed to measure patient satisfaction with dressing performance. Patients with ulcerating metastatic skin lesions were asked to identify important characteristics for evaluating patient satisfaction with dressings. These questions were validated and reviewed for clarity by the patients. A visual analogue scale was used as the response scale. Testing for reliability was limited. Mesalt dressings were compared to continuous wet saline dressings by evaluating patient satisfaction with pre-defined criteria. The criteria for evaluation included ease of application and removal, discomfort during and between dressing changes, control of odor, and patient preference. The study used a cross-over design in which each patient used one dressing for a month and the other dressing for the next month. Although 14 patients were involved in the study, only 10 were statistically analyzed. The remaining four patients were excluded because they were unable to complete a portion of each treatment. Two major findings were identified. First, regarding the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire, patients with ulcerating metastatic skin lesions had numerous ideas about what should be asked to evaluate patient satisfaction with dressings. They considered the questionnaire to be an appropriate format and the questions generated by the investigator to be both important and understandable. Second, the findings of the study indicated that the Mesalt dressings received significantly more positive ratings when compared with continuous wet saline dressings for ease of application and odor control. Mesalt dressings were also significantly preferred to continuous wet saline dressings. The knowledge gained through this study is useful when helping patients decide which dressings to use in the care of ulcerating metastatic skin lesions. The Mesalt dressing appears to be a favorable choice, particularly when ease of application and odor control is important.

Text

2010-09-29

For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/28800

Nursing

University of British Columbia

Graduate