Understanding undisturbed wound healing in clinical practice — a global survey of healthcare professionals

This article presents data from a global survey that explored wound care professionals’ understanding of the concepts of ‘undisturbed wound healing’ and ‘dressing wear time’ and evaluated whether this understanding is related to respondents’ geographic location, profession or speciality. The type of wounds treated, typical and maximum length of time that a dressing is worn, and dressing change frequency were also explored. Knowledge about the meaning behind the two concepts was inconsistent, suggesting that clinical practice and the provision of evidence-based wound healing principles vary significantly. Further investigation as to how knowledge of these concepts impacts clinical practice is warranted.