Barriers and enablers for clinical management of surgical wound complications: results of an international survey prior and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract

Clinical management of surgical wound complications pose considerable challenges globally. Variations in the use of care bundles for prevention is still widespread in clinical practice. As part of the not-for-profit International Surgical Wound Complications Advisory Panel (ISWCAP) advocacy and research, two international surveys of clinicians were conducted during 2019 and 2021. The survey highlighted the perceived barriers and enablers for clinicians across multiple health care settings and surgical disciplines. Opportunities for improvement in early detection and treatment include improved systems for classifying surgical wound complications, implementation of evidence-based guidelines, and adoption of post-discharge surveillance programmes in the clinical and home setting.