Proof of Concept Study for a Dressing Glove

Plain-language summary

Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) is a group of genetic conditions causing extensive, painful skin blisters and wounds. Four main types of EB are recognised, which all affect the hands but those patients usually requiring hand therapy interventions have Recessive Dystrophic EB (RDEB). The proof of concept study is part of the GLOVE (Generation and evaLuation Of hand therapy deVices for Epidermolysis bullosa) project. The project aims (i) to develop two hand therapy devices; a disposable dressing glove and splint glove to manage blisters, wounds and contractures that occur on the hands of people with RDEB (ii) to design and implement the Hand Therapy Online (HTO) electronic patient record system and (iii) to determine the cost effectiveness of the devices and the HTO system. The proof of concept study focuses on testing the clinical performance and cost effectiveness of the dressing glove when compared with conventional dressings. Recruited GLOVE participants will be invited to participate in the 14 week study, conducted using a quasi-experimental, n-of-1 research design. Patients who have not participated in GLOVE will also be invited to join. Participants will be asked to follow their usual dressing regime for six weeks. At week 7, they will be given several pairs of dressing gloves to replace their usual dressings, or starting to wear the glove if they avoid dressings normally and familiarise themselves. If participants usually wear their gloves to maintain their web spaces, they will wear these on top of the dressing glove to help assess compatibility. Participants will provide feedback twice a week from week 7 on the dressing glove by answering 12 questions (TELER indicators) validated in the Pilot study (REC no: 16/LO/1046) using the HTO system. Data from the HTO system will be used by the Health Economist to determine the dressing glove and HTO's cost effectiveness.

Who can participate

What they're measuring

Trial details