Quality of life of patients with venous leg ulcers treated by a one-stop clinic

Abstract

Objective: Venous leg ulcers (VLU's) can impair patient quality of life (QoL) and have a significant impact on healthcare costs. Symptoms include pain and pruritis but can also lead to low self-esteem and sleep deprivation, which are often underestimated by physicians. Method: We introduced a system in which patients with a VLU were examined and treated via a one-stop clinic. In this exploratory study, we evaluated the experiences of patients in this new setting using the Skindex-29 and conducting semi-structured interviews. Results: A total of seven patients completed the questionnaires and interviews. The study found that younger patients had an impaired QoL due to symptoms disrupting activities of daily living. The cooperation between healthcare workers, the consistent execution of the treatment plan by different care providers and the close contact between staff and patients were appreciated by patients. Patients were positive about the continuous care provided by homecare workers at the patient's home, and experienced higher levels of attention to their illness. Conclusion: The introduction of a one-stop clinic led to better insight and awareness among staff of patients' symptoms and complaints. More focus and time should be given to patient-oriented symptoms, which was highly appreciated by patients in this study. This could eventually lead to a reduction in the impairing effects of VLUs on patients' lives and healthcare costs due to fewer visits to the hospital.