WReN are delighted to share the latest in UK wounds research at #EWMA2024

When and where

Wednesday 1 May 2024, 11.45am – 6pm, South Gallery 17, ExCeL London, Royal Victoria Dock, 1 Western Gateway, London E16 1XL

Who is the research stream suitable for?

The content would be of interest to researchers, doctors indeed anyone involved in wounds research.

Cost and registration

Admission to the WReN programme/WReN sessions is FREE and included in your registration if you have already registered for the EWMA conference on 1 May.

Should you wish to attend the WReN stream on Wednesday 1 May only we have a special price of €170 (approx £145)

1. Click the button below to go to the EWMA website
2. Click ‘Register for EWMA here’
3. Log in or set up an account if you don’t already have one
4. Select WReN (option f) from the drop down menu and the rest is easy!

Register on the EWMA website NOW

Programme

Building the evidence for RCT design

There are now emerging examples where support of trainees and early career researchers, specifically research methods and topic guidance to ensure that PhD research, pilot funding and mentorship has enabled the development of the necessary evidence to inform the design and successful National Institute Health Research funding for large definitive multi-centre RCTs. Two examples will be presented in the session including: systematic review and a realist evaluation which informed the WHiTE14_PRESSURE3 trial of off-loading and constant low pressure devices in heel pressure ulcer prevention and; national survey, systematic review, multicentre feasibility cohort and PPI workshop which informed the HEALS2 compression trial following removal of skin cancer on the lower limb.

11:45 – 12:15 PRESSURE 3: Building the links between evidence, perceptions and the reality of clinical practice in heel pressure ulcer prevention: The pathway to a successful investigation of effectiveness
Dr Clare Greenwood, Clinical Nurse Specialist in Tissue Viability and Visiting Research Fellow, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and Clinical Trials and Research Unit, University of Leeds
Dr Liz McGinnis, Clinical Co-ordinator and Honorary Clinical Associate Professor, Clinical Trials Research Unit, University of Leeds

12:15 – 12:45 The HEALS2 Randomised Controlled Trial – Our journey from original concept to successful NIHR funding
Dr Aaron Wernham, Consultant Dermatologist, Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust
Myka Ransom, Senior Medical Statistician, Leeds Institute for Clinical Trials Research, University of Leeds

12:45 – 13:00 Break and exhibition viewing

13:00 – 14:00 Industry symposia

14:00 – 14:15 Break and exhibition viewing

Diabetic Foot Ulcer programmes of research

The UKs National Institute Health Research has funded large programmes of applied clinical research to better understand the prediction and prevention of DFUS and the diagnosis of soft tissue infection. Two key research groups will lead presentations illustrating the incremental development of high quality research evidence impacting upon clinical practice.

14:15 – 14:45 Preventing foot ulceration in diabetes: what do current UK data reveal?
Professor Fay Crawford, Professor of Health Services Research, School of Health & Social Care, University of Essex

14:45 – 15:30 Characterising infection in diabetic foot ulcers: a programme of work to inform wound sampling strategies and clinical management
Professor Andrea Nelson, Pro Vice Chancellor, Research, Glasgow Caledonian University
Professor Fran Game, Clinical Director R&D, University Hospitals Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust

15:30 – 16:00 Break and exhibition viewing

Large collaborative RCTs in SSI

There is increasing funding to undertake large definitive RCTs to evaluate the effectiveness of novel interventions using adaptive trial designs. Other benefits have been trainee research capacity development and international collaborations and capacity development. This session will present the design, delivery challenges and results of the current SSI RCT portfolio.

16:00 – 16:15 SUNRRISE: Incisional Negative Pressure Dressings to reduce SSI after emergency laparotomy- an RCT
Professor Tom Pinkney, George Drexler & Royal College of Surgeons Chair of Surgical Trials and Honorary Consultant Colorectal Surgeon, University of Birmingham and University Hospitals Birmingham

16:15 – 16:40 Surgical wound infection in the Global South: Influencing practice and policy through high-quality trials
Mr James Glasbey, NIHR Doctoral Research Fellow in Global Surgery, Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham

16:40 – 16:50 Surgical site infection in lower limb amputations (SIMBA)
Ismay Fabre, Core Surgical Trainee, Health Education & Improvement Wales

16:50 – 17:00 DISCUSSION

Are platform trials the future in wounds research?

The COVID 19 pandemic raised the profile of the value of platform trials, including Multi-Arm Multi-Stage RCTs, Trials Within Cohorts (TWIC) design and Umbrella designs. The UKs National Institute for Health Research has previously funded such trials in SSI, DFUs and Pressure ulcers including ROSSINI, ROSSINI2, MIDFUT and WHiTE14_PRESSURE3 and is now strategically supporting their wider development through Acceleration Awards to support preliminary methodological work in SSI, DFU and lower limb wounds and a specific commissioned call for full Platform trial applications. This provides a potential opportunity for the ambitious, collegiate design and delivery of evaluation of multiple interventions simultaneously. This session will provide details of the some of the methodological work undertaken, discuss the design and delivery considerations and explore opportunities and challenges of the ambition.

17:00 – 17:15 Experience, challenges and future in DFU platform trials/studies – MIDFUT, DOMINO-DFU & DFU-REFORM
Mr David Russell, Associate Professor of Vascular Surgery, University of Leeds

17:15 – 17:30 ROSSINI 2 – experiences from running a multi-arm, multi-stage SSI trial
Professor Tom Pinkney, George Drexler & Royal College of Surgeons Chair of Surgical Trials and Honorary Consultant Colorectal Surgeon, University of Birmingham and University Hospitals Birmingham

17:30 – 17:45 Delivering a pressure ulcer prevention trial through a hip fracture platform: WhiTE14_PRESSURE3
Professor Jane Nixon MBE, Professor of Tissue Viability and Clinical Trials Research and NIHR Senior Investigator, University of Leeds

17:45 – 18:00 The UK Ambition for platform trials
Professor Jane Nixon MBE, Professor of Tissue Viability and Clinical Trials Research and NIHR Senior Investigator, University of Leeds
Professor Tom Pinkney, George Drexler & Royal College of Surgeons Chair of Surgical Trials and Honorary Consultant Colorectal Surgeon, University of Birmingham and University Hospitals Birmingham