Foong HF, Kyaw BM, Upton Z, Tudor Car L, et al.
International wound journal. Date of publication 2020 Oct 1;volume 17(5):1266-1281.
1. Int Wound J. 2020 Oct;17(5):1266-1281. doi: 10.1111/iwj.13396. Epub 2020 May 10.
Facilitators and barriers of using digital technology for the management of
diabetic foot ulcers: A qualitative systematic review.
Foong HF(1), Kyaw BM(1), Upton Z(2), Tudor Car L(3)(4).
Author information:
(1)Centre for Population Health Sciences, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine,
Nanyang Technological University Singapore, Singapore.
(2)Skin Research Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and
Research, Singapore.
(3)Family Medicine and Primary Care, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang
Technological University Singapore, Singapore.
(4)Department of Primary Care and Public Health, School of Public Health,
Imperial College London, London, UK.
The use of digital technology has been shown to be effective in managing chronic
conditions. Telemedicine and mobile application are two common applications of
digital technology in managing diabetic foot ulcers (DFU). The facilitators and
barriers of using it for DFU management are yet to be explored. This is a
qualitative systematic review. Five bibliography databases and grey literature
sources were searched (2000-2019). Two reviewers independently screened the
citations, extracted the data, assessed the quality of the included studies, and
performed thematic synthesis. Three studies on patients and five studies on
healthcare practitioners (HCPs) were included. Two studies focused on the use of
mobile applications and six on telemedicine. In studies on patients, four
analytical themes were generated: the relationships with HCPs; the attitude
towards the usage of digital technology; the role of wound image taking; and
impact of digital technology on DFU care, encompassing 15 facilitators (eg,
enabling community support, improving wound care knowledge) and 12 barriers (eg,
lack of technological savviness, difficulty reading on smartphones). Three
analytical themes were generated from studies on HCPs: the impact of digital
technology on HCPs; the role of digital technology in DFU care; and organisation
of DFU care delivery, encompassing 17 facilitators (eg, adequate wound care
training, digital technology enables holistic care) and 16 barriers (eg, lack of
multidisciplinary approach in caring for DFU, lack of direct contact in care
provision). Patients and HCPs reported various barriers and facilitators relating
to different aspects of using digital technology in DFU management. Our findings
can help inform future research as well as the adoption of digital technology in
DFU management.
© 2020 The Authors. International Wound Journal published by Medicalhelplines.com
Inc and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
DOI: 10.1111/iwj.13396
PMID: 32390305
