STUDY PROTOCOL article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Injury Prevention and Control
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1591187
A digitally enabled home-based wound care program using the PEDALs model: a mixed-methods study protocol
Provisionally accepted
- 1Shengli Clinical Medical College, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
- 2Department of Nursing, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fuzhou, China
- 3Key Laboratory of Geriatrics, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- 4Department of Plastic and Burn Surgery, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fuzhou, China, Fuzhou, China
- 5The school of nursing, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
- 6Department of Endocrinology, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fuzhou, China
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
Background: Chronic wounds impose a significant burden on patients and caregivers because of complications such as pain, infection, and repeated trips to and from hospitals. These challenges are compounded by prolonged healing times and substantial socioeconomic costs, particularly in aging populations and resource-limited settings. The Digitally Enabled Home-Based Wound Care (DE-HBWC) program facilitates the organization of home visits by caregivers through electronic devices and internet platforms, enabling patients to easily receive medication changes and treatments, thus allowing patients to continue to reside in familiar surroundings while enjoying the same treatment as they would in a hospital. The construction of DE-HBWC programs for chronic wound patients in China is hampered by a lack of scientific theoretical guidance and high-quality research. The PEDALs (Problem, Evidence, Determinants, Actions, Long-term, Scales) model, a theoretical framework used in implementation research, as a rational framework for the DE-HBWC program in this study. Unlike conventional approaches, the PEDALs model emphasizes iterative adaptation and long-term scalability, ensuring alignment with real-world clinical needs and technological advancements.Methods: We designed a combined quantitative and qualitative study consisting of five phases and one monitoring step, following the PEDALs model. In Phase I, the clinical problem was defined as wound management challenges in patients with chronic wounds. In Phase II, a literature review and evidence-based practice were undertaken to address the research questions. In Phase III, in-depth interviews will be conducted to identify barriers and facilitators to the implementation of the DE-HBWC program in chronic wound patients. In Phase IV, the DE-HBWC intervention protocol will be developed and followed by a randomized controlled trial of the DE-HBWC intervention program. In Phase V, a DE-HBWC implementation plan that is sustainable over the long term will be developed to promote its use. Monitoring of the implementation of interventions in phases III to V will be conducted.Discussion: This study evaluated the impact of the DE-HBWC program on wound healing and quality of life in chronic wound patients and to assess its economic benefits. The findings are expected to help resolve challenges faced by patients with chronic wounds attending hospitals for wound care.
Keywords: chronic wounds, Wound Care, PEDALs model, Digital Health, home-based, telehealth, Home Care Services, implementation research
Received: 10 Mar 2025; Accepted: 26 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Chen, Zhuo, Cai, Zeng, Chen and Chen. 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: Lili Chen, Shengli Clinical Medical College, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.