Research priorities for fundamental wound research in Australia: a scoping review protocol

Background While many aspects of the wound repair process are understood, there is still limited understanding about why chronic wounds develop, how we predict, diagnose and improve healing outcomes, and why some wounds heal with scarring. Identifying current gaps in knowledge, as well as areas of strengths, will inform recommendations for future research-based themes and influence the targeting of resources.

Aims This scoping review aims to (i) map current knowledge and research activities into wound healing in Australia and (ii) understand strengths and identifying research gaps in science-focused wound research in Australia.

Methods Guided by the PRISMA-ScR framework, this scoping review will include original laboratory-based science studies on wounds conducted in Australia. Records will be searched in PubMed, CINAHL and Embase from January 2010 to March 2021. All screened titles and abstracts will be independently assessed by two reviewers using Rayyan (R) . A third reviewer will solve any conflicts that arise. This will be followed by full text screening and in-depth analysis after resolution of conflicts.

Results and dissemination Following data extraction from the final included articles, results will be grouped according to area of research and synthesised in a narrative review. Findings will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.