Making the best of multidisciplinary care for patients with malignant fungating wounds: A qualitative study of clinicians’ narratives

Abstract

Background: Malignant fungating wounds occur in advanced cancer patients, often in the last 6 to 12 months of life, when malignant cells breach the skin, causing a non-healing wound. Little is known about the perspectives of clinicians who treat these patients or how collaboration is facilitated among different specialties. Objective: To understand the experiences and perceived roles of clinicians who treat patients with malignant fungating wounds from a multidisciplinary perspective. Design: A qualitative study using narrative interviews was conducted and data was analyzed to identify themes that encompass the experiences of clinicians who treat patients malignant fungating wounds and put these experiences in a temporal context. Setting/subjects: Ten clinicians who treat patients with malignant fungating wounds ( n  = 10) from various metropolitan research hospitals were interviewed. The clinicians were of different disciplines, including physicians and nurses, and different specialties, including palliative care, oncology, and wound care. Results: Three themes emerged that described how clinicians of varying disciplines and specialties understood their roles and navigated the transition from curative to palliative care for patients with malignant fungating wounds: (1) making the best of fragmented care (2) collaboration between oncology and wound care (3) transitioning from curative to palliative care. Conclusion: Findings of the study present a timeline of clinical care for patients, with different specialties taking the lead at different points in clinical time. Recognizing when collaboration between specialties is essential, as well as when communication fails, or clinicians have differing perspectives is important to facilitate the best care possible for patients.