Self-management interventions to improve skin care for pressure ulcer prevention in people with spinal cord injuries: a systematic review protocol

Abstract

BackgroundPressure ulcers are a serious, common, lifelong, and costly secondary complication of spinal cord injury (SCI). Community-dwelling people with a SCI can prevent them with appropriate skin care (i.e. pressure relieving activities, skin checks). Adherence to skin care remains suboptimal however, and self-management interventions that focus on improving this have been designed. Little is known on their content, effectiveness, or theoretical basis. The aim of the proposed systematic review is to synthesize the literature on self-management interventions to improve skin care in people with a SCI. Specific objectives are to describe these interventions in relation to their content, effectiveness, theory base, and adherence to reporting guidelines for intervention description.MethodsThe search strategy will combine an electronic search of nine bibliographic databases (MEDLINE, Embase, PsycInfo, CENTRAL, CINAHL, Rehabdata, CIRRIE, PEDro, ERIC) and two trial registers with a manual search of relevant reference lists. Predefined eligibility criteria will be applied in a two-phase selection process involving title and abstract screening, followed by full-text screening. A data extraction spreadsheet will be applied to included papers. Intervention content will be coded using two taxonomies (behaviour change taxonomy; PRISMS self-management support taxonomy). A validated tool (Theory Coding Scheme) and the Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) will be used to examine theoretical basis and assess adherence to reporting guidelines for intervention description. A small number of heterogeneous studies are likely to be included in this review therefore a narrative synthesis is planned.DiscussionThis systematic review will help identify the gaps and priorities to guide future research activities in this area.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO CRD42016033191Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13643-016-0323-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Self-management interventions for skin care in people with a spinal cord injury: part 2—a systematic review of use of theory and quality of intervention reporting

“…Given these concerns and the pressing need for effective SCI skin care self-management interventions, our program of work aims to examine the existing evidence base on these interventions. A first project consisted in a systematic review to investigate skin care self-management interventions (see published protocol [12]). Results of this systematic review are reported in two publications.…”

Self-management interventions for skin care in people with a spinal cord injury: part 1—a systematic review of intervention content and effectiveness

“…We published a protocol [ 13 ] prior to undertaking this review. Common search and study selection procedures were used to address aims 1 and 2.…”

“…A data extraction spreadsheet was designed in Excel to capture general information, study characteristics, participants, intervention characteristics, measurements, data analyses, and intervention effects (see protocol [ 13 ]). It was piloted on two papers reporting SCI behavioral interventions and ineligible for inclusion in this review.…”

Interventions for pressure ulcers: a summary of evidence for prevention and treatment

“…A number of additional systematic reviews have been registered with the Cochrane Wounds Editorial Base, the protocols for which are currently in the process of being developed, or the reviews themselves undertaken [79][80][81][82][83][84][85] ( Table 3). In addition to these, protocols for other (non-Cochrane) systematic reviews have recently been published, which look specifically at interventions for PUs in people with SCI (e.g., self-management interventions to improve skin care for PU prevention [86]).…”