Abstract

A methodological study using a modified Delphi survey was conducted to determine whether or not there was consensus among wound care experts in identifying categories and characteristics essential for classifying malignant skin lesion severity in cancer patients. Two groups of wound care experts, oncology nurses (ONS) and certified enterostomal therapy nurses (CETN), were sent a demographic data form and two drafts of the malignant skin lesion survey form. Participants were asked to identify descriptors for a specific category domain in the first round of the survey. A subsequent survey form was mailed to the 246 wound care experts in which they were asked to identify the importance of rank for each category domain and appropriate descriptors. A total of 125 second round surveys were returned (55 ONS and 65 CETN). Items ranked as 5 (extreme importance) and 4 (great importance) on the Likert-type scale by 75% or more of the respondents resulted in inclusion of 28 descriptors on the Malignant Skin Lesion Assessment Instrument. A t test for independent samples was completed on the second survey results. Agreement existed on the majority of descriptors; two significant differences occurred between groups $(p\le.002),$ and eight type II errors occurred. No significant difference was found for any descriptors on the new instrument. Coefficient alpha for the new instrument is.91. Results indicated there is consensus among wound care experts relative to descriptor importance for an instrument identifying severity of malignant skin lesions in cancer patients. However, further testing is needed to establish consensus among wound care experts for category titles.

Description

This dissertation has also been disseminated through the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. Dissertation/thesis number: 9701924; ProQuest document ID: 304313432. The author still retains copyright.

Author Details

Mary Ann Gilmore, PhD, RN

Sigma Membership

Theta Upsilon

Type

Dissertation

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Other

Research Approach

Pilot/Exploratory Study

Keywords:

Wound Care, Malignant Skin Lesions, Assessment Tool Development

Advisors

Kernicki, Jeanette

Degree

PhD

Degree Grantor

Texas Woman's University

Degree Year

1996

Rights Holder

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All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository.

All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.

Review Type

None: Degree-based Submission

Acquisition

Proxy-submission

Date of Issue

2020-08-07

Full Text of Presentation

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