Outcomes may be divided into those classified as short-term or long-term. In burns care, short term outcomes include the length of hospital stay, infection, healing time. Longer-term outcomes include problems with movement (contractures), cosmetic issues (scarring), pain, and psychological health. Longer-term outcomes are likely to be more important to patients. Shorter-term outcomes are more commonly used to determine the safety and efficacy of new technology or surgery. A short-term COS is not available for burns. The aims of this project are to develop and understand short-term outcomes for patients recovering from burns. This project has run in parallel an existing project that finished in 2019, developing a generic COS covering short-term and longer-term outcomes for reporting in burn research. This project is using the same peer-reviewed methodology to develop a complementary set of short-term outcomes and definitions, identified by patients and clinicians. Both COSs will improve patient care by making burn research comparable, allowing effective testing of new technology and care, and making the most worthwhile use of NHS research funding.
