ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Med.
Sec. Dermatology
This article is part of the Research TopicAdvanced Hydrogels as Wound Dressings for Accelerated Wound HealingView all 5 articles
A Patient Journey Mapping Study of Lived Experiences during Platelet-Rich Fibrin Gel Therapy for Venous Leg Ulcers
Provisionally accepted
- Dongyang Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Dongyang, China
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Background: Active venous leg ulcers (VLUs), characterised by high recurrence and complexity of treatment, place patients under a dual physiological and psychological stress. Platelet rich fibrin (PRF) shows biological therapeutic potential, but current research predominantly focuses on its clinical efficacy through quantitative measures such as wound healing rates, leaving a significant gap in understanding the holistic therapeutic experience and multidimensional psychological-cognitive journey of patients undergoing this novel treatment. This gap limits the development of patient-centered care strategies that could optimize both biological and psychosocial outcomes. Objective & Methods: The aim of this study was to identify key stages and touchpoints where patient needs, distress, and decision-making are most pronounced during PRF gel therapy, by employing patient journey mapping to visualize and analyze the holistic treatment experience.. A descriptive phenomenology study using semi-structured interviews was conducted in 13 active VLU patients from June to December 2024. The data were analysed using the seven-step Colaizzi method to identify themes and to construct a dynamic journey model that integrates cognition, experience and emotions. Results: Four core themes emerged: Pre-treatment cognitive dissonance and hope; Treatment-phase challenges; Post-treatment biopsychosocial shifts; and Dynamic anxiety-hope oscillation. Conclusion: Patients reported that PRF gel therapy, within the context of comprehensive wound care, was associated with enhanced wound healing and improved psychological well-being. The proposed patient journey map translates these lived experiences into a structured framework, offering actionable insights for implementing patient-centered care and optimizing management strategies for refractory VLUs. Implications: Clinically, this framework aids in identifying high-need phases of the treatment journey and provides a basis for tailoring patient education and support, ultimately helping to improve both clinical workflows and patient engagement in PRF-based wound management.
Keywords: active venous leg ulcers, Patient journey mapping, platelet-rich fibrin gel, psychological-cognitive model, psychologicaldynamic, Qualitativeresearch, Quality of Life, therapeutic experience
Received: 24 Jun 2025; Accepted: 16 Dec 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Cui, Xu, Wang, Chen, Hu and Wu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Haiying Wu
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