title: Wound Care: Multicenter Feasibility Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aims of this study were to determine a sound recruitment strategy for multisite wound studies to address the rising prevalence and incidence of chronic wounds and to identify appropriate adult patient populations with wounds of interest and establish partnerships with their clinicians and clinical services as a model for a multisite wound care feasibility study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A pilot multisite recruitment feasibility study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three wound clinics located in a large, Midwestern metropolitan area.
  
  
  METHODS
  A convenience sample of 3 staff and 3 patients with lower-extremity wounds from each clinic was interviewed. Medical records of all patients with lower-extremity wounds seen during 1 week at each clinic were reviewed. Outcome measures included characteristics of patients being treated at the 3 wound care clinics (patient demographics and wound characteristics) and wound treatments used. Barriers and opportunities that could be addressed in recruitment and other research strategies were identified.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Barriers and facilitators for future research were identified and varied within and between clinics. Patients reported they were willing to participate in future research, although fewer were willing if the study was blinded. Patients received a variety of treatments within and across clinics. Medical record reviews provided further information about wound clinic patients, wound characteristics, and barriers and facilitators for future study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Characteristics of wound clinic patients and their wounds were found to vary by site, suggesting tailored recruitment methods by site within multisite wound care studies may be most productive. This study suggests successful recruitment strategies for future wound care intervention research.
authors.affiliation: Linda Halcon, PhD, MPH, RN, is an Associate Professor Emerita, School of Nursing, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. Angela Lillehei, PhD, MPH, RN, is a Health and Healing Consultant, Minneapolis, Minnesota. M. Mark Melin, MD, is a Vascular Surgeon and Director, Wound Clinic; and Alice Shapiro, PhD, is a Research Scientist, Park Nicollet Health Services and Institute, St Louis Park, Minnesota. Carolyn Robinson, MSN, RN, CANP, CVN, is a Nurse Practitioner, Vascular Surgery, VA Medical Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota. The authors have disclosed that this study was supported by the National Institute of Nursing Research (grant P20 NR008992; Center for Health Trajectory Research). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute of Nursing Research or the National Institutes of Health.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Halcon
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lillehei
authors.forename: M Mark
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Melin
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shapiro
authors.forename: Carolyn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Robinson