04

04SCIENCE, PRACTICE AND EDUCATION DOI: 10.35279/jowm2022.23.03.04 A digital wound management checklist to support clinical decision- making: A qualitative validation study 160 Sari A. Kaari , MSc, IT Management, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland Mervi S. Vähätalo , RN, MNSc, PhD (business & admin.), Satakunta University of Applied Sciences, Pori, Finland Kirsti M. Ahmajärvi , MD, Specialist in general practice, Special competence in wound management, PhD Student, Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland Milla T. Kallio , MD, PhD, Helsinki University Hospital and Helsinki University Abdominal Center, Vascular Surgery, Helsinki, Finland Heli M. Lagus , MD, PhD, Department of Plastic Surgery and Wound Healing Centre, Helsinki University Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland Kirsi M. Isoherranen , MD, PhD, Helsinki University Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland Correspondence: Sari Kaari, kaari.sari@gmail.com Conflict of interest: None Keywords: Checklist, software, usability, wound care, wound navigator ABSTRACT Aim The research objective was to explore how a digital wound management checklist (Wound Navigator) affects clinical decision-making. The aim was to understand how physicians view the use of digital checklists in a clinical setting. ture to the patient assessment and commented on its clear user interface. Improvements pointed out by the test subjects included decreasing the number of mouse clicks. Test subjects reported that they could use the digital wound management checklist in clini- cal work to assist in patient assessment, especially with more complex cases. Methods The research was conducted as a qualitative case study with a usability testing approach. Nine test subjects were given seven fictional patient cases, which included picture(s) of the wound with some medical history and details of the wound. The results were analysed according to the usability domains effectiveness, efficiency and engagement. Results With the digital wound management checklist, all test subjects were able to work through patient cases and receive a valid conclusion and recommenda- tions for follow-up procedures. The majority of the test subjects found that it helped in selecting follow- up procedures. Several test subjects reported that the digital wound management checklist brought struc- Conclusions and implications for clinical practice The digital wound management checklist provides structure to the patient assessment and can either enforce or broaden the clinical decision-making process; thus, it can be useful, especially when as- sessing more complex cases or when the physician is inexperienced. End-users declared the digital wound management checklist was a tool they would use in their work. INTRODUCTION Wounds have a profound effect at both the individual and societal levels, requiring substantial healthcare ex- penditures while having a drastic effect on quality of life (1,2). The reason why a wound becomes chronic should always be diagnosed; often, there is a chronic JOURNAL OF WOUND MANAGEMENT OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN WOUND MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATIONPage 2