Establishment of the traditional Chinese medicine nursing assessment form based on the Delphi method for chronic wounds

Background and objectives

The existing wound assessment tools, which are based on modern medical theory, limit the clinical application of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) nursing. This research aimed to develop a scientific, standardized, and characteristic TCM nursing evaluation form for chronic wounds.

Methods

Based on a literature review and research group discussions, an initial draft of an expert consultation questionnaire, based on literature from the past five years (2017–2021) from databases such as CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, and SinoMed, was formulated. The authority of the experts was expressed using the authority coefficient, derived from self-evaluations, which is critical for ensuring the scientific validity and rationality of the indicator system. After three rounds of Delphi expert consultation, the TCM nursing assessment form for wound surfaces was finalized.

Results

The effective response rate for the three rounds of expert consultation questionnaires was 100%. The judgment coefficient was 0.85, the familiarity coefficient was 0.89, and the authority coefficient was 0.87. The coefficients of variation for the three rounds were 0.172, 0.044, and 0.013, respectively, while the Kendall’s coefficients of concordance were 0.406, 0.269, and 0.502, respectively, with statistically significant differences (p < 0.001). The final TCM nursing assessment form for wound surfaces included four basic information items, two primary indicators, 17 secondary indicators, and 13 tertiary indicators.

Conclusions

The TCM nursing assessment form integrates TCM syndrome differentiation principles and provides a standardized tool for the assessment of chronic wounds.

Full text:

https://www.xiahepublishing.com/2835-6357/FIM-2025-00037

The study was recently published in the Future Integrative Medicine.

Future Integrative Medicine (FIM) is the official scientific journal of the Capital Medical University. It is a prominent new journal that promotes future innovation in medicine.It publishes both basic and clinical research, including but not limited to randomized controlled trials, intervention studies, cohort studies, observational studies, qualitative and mixed method studies, animal studies, and systematic reviews.

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