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Multicenter Study
. 2025 Oct 27;50(11):2163-2171.
doi: 10.1093/ced/llaf263.

A multicentre qualitative study of patient perceptions and experiences with secondary intention wound healing and skin grafting (PERCEIVE) across the UK and the Republic of Ireland

Puo Nen Lim  1 , Jenny Caesar  2 , Garret O'Connell  3 , William Thomas Nicholas Hunt  4 , Mohanad Aldiwani  5 , Dushyanth Gnanappiragasam  5 , Mun-Wai Lam  6 , Gregory Parkins  1 , Martin Porter  1 , Rachel Abbott  2 , Michael O'Connell  3 , Thomas Oliphant  4 , Simon Tso  7 , Aaron Wernham  6
Affiliations
Multicenter Study

A multicentre qualitative study of patient perceptions and experiences with secondary intention wound healing and skin grafting (PERCEIVE) across the UK and the Republic of Ireland

Puo Nen Lim et al. Clin Exp Dermatol. .

Abstract

Background: For skin surgical sites that cannot be closed directly, alternative methods such as secondary intention healing (SIH) and full-thickness skin grafting (FTSG) are utilized. Published literature on wound closure methods are primarily focused on objective outcomes such as healing time, cosmesis and postoperative complications. There is a paucity of literature exploring patient experiences with these wound reconstructive modalities.

Objectives: To explore patient experiences of skin surgery with SIH and FTSG.

Methods: This is a multicentre interview-based qualitative study involving six sites across the UK and the Republic of Ireland. One-to-one semistructured interviews were conducted with patients who had an open surgical wound (for SIH) or a FTSG following excision of keratinocyte cancers. Patients were interviewed twice: once within a week postsurgery and again 3 months later. Audio recordings of interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using the six-step thematic analysis method by Braun and Clarke.

Results: Twenty-four patients (19 male and 5 female; 12 SIH and 12 FTSG) with histologically confirmed keratinocyte cancers took part in the first interview. Their age ranged from 44 to 88 years. There were 22 completed second-round interviews. Four key themes emerged: perception of overall quality of care (nonclinical), preoperative experience, intraoperative experience and postoperative experience. The first time patients visualized their surgical wound when changing dressings was a critical moment in their journey.

Conclusions: Patients' experiences with skin surgery are highly individualized. Addressing their information needs, including those related to ancillary services, and involving them in shared decision making can enhance patient satisfaction.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest: P.N.L. is a an associate editor of Clinical and Experimental Dermatology. W.T.N.H. is an editor of the Journal of Sustainable Dermatology in Practice. S.T. is a member of the editorial advisory board of Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Sustainable Dermatology in Practice, associate editor of the British Journal of Dermatology and chair of the British Association of Dermatologists Sustainability Subcommittee, and has received travel reimbursement, honoraria or research funding from Almirall, Beiersdorf, Eucerin, La Fondation La Roche-Posay, L’Oréal, Menarini, UCB Pharma and Viatris. The other authors declare they have no conflicts of interest. All of the authors consent to publication of the paper and confirm that the paper has not been published and is not being considered for publication elsewhere.

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