A Systematic Review on the Impact of Leg Ulceration on Patients' Quality of Life

Overview

Journal Health Qual Life Outcomes

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Public Health

Date 2007 Jul 27

PMID 17651490

Citations 85

Authors

Oliver R Herber

Wilfried Schnepp

Monika A Rieger

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: A systematic review was conducted to analyse journal articles that describe or measure the impact of leg ulceration on patients' quality of life (QoL) in order to improve the content of an educational programme that aims to enhance self-care agency in leg ulcer patients.

Method: Original articles published in English and German between 1990 and 2006 were included if the findings were analysed at the level of patients. Articles were excluded if (1) they investigated the impact of specific treatments or settings on QoL or (2) focused mainly on arterial ulcers or diabetic foot ulcers.

Results: Twenty-four original research articles met the inclusion criteria; 11 studies used a quantitative, 11 studies a qualitative, and 2 used a mixed method approach. The findings were collapsed into 5 core domains. Quantitative studies commonly investigated the parameters of pain, sleep, social isolation, and physical mobility. Patients had significantly more pain, more restrictions regarding social functioning, less vitality, and limitations with respect to emotional roles compared to the respective controls. Other problem areas identified were restrictions in work capacity, recreation, social interaction, psychological well-being, as well as problems caused by treatment regimes. Inconclusive results were obtained regarding pain intensity, physical restrictions, and gender effects.

Limitations: Numerous original studies neither undertook a differentiation of participants by ulcer aetiology nor did they analyse the results according to gender differences.

Conclusion: As leg ulceration has an impact on QoL, national guidelines on the treatment of leg ulceration need to more specifically address these far-ranging effects identified in this review.

Citing Articles

Pilot Implementation of a Primary Care Disease Management Concept for Venous Leg Ulceration: Results of a Mixed-Methods Process Evaluation.

Fleischhauer T, Poss-Doering R, Sander N, Laux G, Wensing M, Szecsenyi J Healthcare (Basel). 2025; 12(24.

PMID: 39765979 PMC: 11675229. DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12242552.

Automated devices for identifying peripheral arterial disease in people with leg ulceration: an evidence synthesis and cost-effectiveness analysis.

Boyers D, Cruickshank M, Aucott L, Kennedy C, Manson P, Bachoo P Health Technol Assess. 2024; 28(37):1-158.

PMID: 39186036 PMC: 11367298. DOI: 10.3310/TWCG3912.

Management and outcomes among patients with hard-to-heal ulcers in Sweden: a national mapping of data from medical records, focusing on diagnoses, ulcer healing, ulcer treatment time, pain and prescription of analgesics and antibiotics.

Oien R, Roxenius J, Bostrom M, Wickstrom H BMJ Open. 2024; 14(8):e087894.

PMID: 39174055 PMC: 11440203. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-087894.

Characteristics of chronic ulcer patients by gender and ulcer aetiology from a multidisciplinary wound centre.

Kuikko K, Salmi T, Huhtala H, Kimpimaki T Int Wound J. 2024; 21(8):e70012.

PMID: 39107919 PMC: 11303263. DOI: 10.1111/iwj.70012.

The Impact of Underlying Conditions on Quality-of-Life Measurement Among Patients with Chronic Wounds, as Measured by Utility Values: A Review with an Additional Study.

Eckert K, Fife C, Carter M Adv Wound Care (New Rochelle). 2023; 12(12):680-695.

PMID: 37815559 PMC: 10615090. DOI: 10.1089/wound.2023.0098.

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