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Information/Education Rep
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A Decision Support Methodology for Evaluating Chronic Wound Dressings First Author: Lynne Holt Authors: Lynne Holt, PhD A new application for a decision support methodology to evaluate dressings for chronic wounds is presented. Objectives are to: (1) describe the methodology with sufficient detail to encourage its use, (2) inform prospective users of practical considerations, and (3) present pilot study data and key findings. The methodology is a modified form of conjoint analysis. To use it, properties of a set of similar wound dressings are defined. Upon completion of data collection, analysis reveals a rank ordering of the wound dressing profiles, groupings of profiles (segments) representing the best choices of dressings for specific applications, and the relative importance of the dressing properties themselves. This methodology has been used by the author to assist major corporations in new product design. This novel use of the methodology can serve to assist healthcare professionals and administrators to evaluate new products for use in hospitals, outpatient treatment facilities, assisted living and long-term care institutions. Data from a pilot study will be shown to demonstrate the methodology. Specifically, the pilot study examined tradeoffs among wound dressing properties, including: adhesion, absorption, durability (time between dressing changes), ease of use, goodness of fit, wound visualization, and price. |
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