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Background: Compression garments are a widely used intervention for the management of hypertrophic scar and recent research demonstrates the varied experiences of patients wearing compression garments. However, the patient and therapist perspective on how to improve the experience of wearing compression garments remains unexplored.Objective: To gain an understanding of the patient and therapist perspective of potential improvements to the provision of compression garments after burns.Method: A qualitative research design with an interpretive description approach was utilised in this study. Data was collected from patients through semi-structured interviews and a focus group and therapists by a focus group. Thematic analysis was completed to reveal the key themes across the data.Results: Two main themes were identified: "what patients want" and "access to professional development". The first theme "what patients want" described three suggested improvements including education, peer support, and increased participation in garment prescription.Conclusions: The reported patient and therapist perspectives highlight the need for further research into service improvement to enhance the patient experience of wearing compression garments after burns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Compression garments are widely used for the management of hypertrophic scars, however, the patient experience of wearing compression garments remains minimally explored.Objective: To gain an understanding of the patient experience of wearing compression garments post burn injury, including why patients remove their garments.Method: Interpretive description was the methodological approach used in this study. Semi-structured interviews and a focus group were used to gain in-depth insights into the lived experience of wearing compression garments. Thematic analysis revealed key themes across the data and member checking confirmed data interpretation.Results: Three main themes related to wearing compression garments were identified: what it feels like to wear compression garments, what it is like to be a patient within a burns service and the impact of garments on patients' lives and recovery.Conclusions: The results highlighted a variety of influences that affected the individual experience of garment wear, highlighting the need for a patient centred approach by burn service providers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]