The Effectiveness of Augmented Reality Facilitated Education in Promoting Care Management of Malignant Fungating Wounds Among Oncology Nurses

Overview

Malignant fungating wounds (MFWs) affect 5-14% of patients with advanced cancer, making them a common complication in this population. Characterized by symptoms such as foul odor, heavy exudate, bleeding, moderate to severe pain, and infection, MFWs cause significant physical discomfort and pose life-threatening risks while also leading to profound psychosocial issues, including shame and social isolation. These factors severely impact patients' quality of life, with half of those diagnosed surviving only six months on average. However, clinical nursing staff often lack adequate knowledge and skills in managing MFWs, with an average accuracy rate of just 56.5%. Notable deficiencies exist in areas such as wound disinfection, odor control, and wound assessment, directly affecting the quality of patient care and highlighting an urgent need for specialized MFW training. Traditional MFW education often lacks real-life clinical scenarios and hands-on practice, resulting in a gap between learning and application and leaving learners ill-prepared for the complexities of clinical settings. In contrast, augmented reality (AR) technology presents new possibilities for nursing education. AR can create highly simulated clinical environments where learners can safely practice complex clinical skills, enhancing clinical decision-making abilities. The implementation of AR-based training programs provides nursing staff with a more realistic and effective learning experience, allowing them to better address the challenges posed by MFWs and ultimately contributing to improvements in patient care and quality of life.

Interventions

• Other MFWs with AR
  MFWs with AR This study utilized MyWeb AR as the primary development platform to create an AR-enhanced teaching curriculum for malignant fungating wound (MFW) care. Based on the 2022 Clinical Care Guidelines for Malignant Fungating Wounds and expert input from oncology specialists, the content covers key aspects of MFW care, including wound assessment, symptom identification, and care principles such as odor control, exudate management, and infection prevention. The program uses 3D object elemen
• Other Classroom Teaching
  Classroom Teaching and Case Sharing Introduction to Updated MFWs Care Guidelines and Clinical Applications MFWs Wound Care Management of Common MFWs-Related Complications Case Sharing on MFWs Complication Management: Researchers

Primary outcome measures

• MFWs care Knowledge scale [Time frame: 6months]

Secondary outcome measures (1)

• Clinical Reasoning Scale [Time frame: 6months]

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion criteria

• Full-time nursing staff working in oncology wards at a teaching hospital in northern Taiwan
• Individuals willing to participate in the study and who have signed the informed consent form

Exclusion criteria

• Nursing staff not assigned to oncology-related wards
• Individuals expected to be unable to complete full participation in the study

Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.

Healthy volunteers: No

Study design

Allocation

Randomized

Model

Parallel assignment

Masking

Single blind

Primary purpose

Supportive care

Study locations

Taiwan · 1 center

• MacKay Memorial Hosital — New Taipei City

Identifiers

NCT: NCT06900179 · 24MMHIS089e

Primary sources (government registries)

• ClinicalTrials.gov (US NIH)

View this study on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗