title: Benchmarking chronic wound healing outcomes.
abstract: ﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿ Background. Benchmarking chronic wound outcomes (compar- ing outcomes achieved in practice to those reported elsewhere) begins with documenting and summarizing individual and cohort outcomes of one's practice, continues with searching for comparable results, and is completed by improving care if benchmark outcomes exceed one's own.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Literature reviewed illustrated this cycle of document- summarize-search-compare outcomes of a recognized healing mea- sure-percent completely healed within ≥ 12 weeks of care.
  
  
  METHODS
  MEDLINE and Association for the Advancement of Wound Care (AAWC) Venous and Pressure Ulcer Guidelines and Evidence Table searches identified example healing benchmarks from randomized controlled tri- als (RCTs) with ≥ 100 subjects/group with a diabetic foot ulcer (DU), venous leg ulcer (VU), or pressure ulcer (PU). Graphed benchmarks were compared to outcomes reported for same-etiology cohorts to il- lustrate institutional and patient-level benchmarking.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cohorts in some settings reported results similar to the best RCT results for DU and VU. More adequately powered PU RCTs are needed to provide full- and partial-thickness PU benchmarks. RCTs have strengths and limitations as benchmarking resources. Risk-adjusted analyses would improve benchmarking.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Documenting and comparing out- comes to published results can support current interventions, highlight opportunities for improvement, or ensure that interventions applied are working to meet individual patient and wound care goals. ﻿﻿﻿.
authors: ﻿ Department of Surgery, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey; Email: llbolton@gmail.com.
authors: Laura L
authors: LL
authors: Bolton