Focus on negative pressure: exploring the barriers to adoption

Recent government documents have identified the move from hospital-based care into the community and have suggested that more complex wound care can now be provided in the community setting with therapies such as negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT).
This focus group interview explores community tissue viability specialists’ experiences and attitudes towards the use of NPWT in community settings. The study was conducted in compliance with relevant ethical guidelines. Data analysis identified various themes but this paper concentrates on three; untimely referrals; cost implications and mutual benefit and understanding.