Exploring the Development of a Canadian Frostbite Care Network and the Future of Frostbite Care in Canada Using a Qualitative Approach

Introduction-The Canadian Frostbite Collaborative project is exploring frostbite patient care needs and current practices in Canada to inform the development of a Canadian frostbite care network (CFCN) as a national quality improvement initiative.Methods-Using a quantitative and qualitative approach, this study aimed to define the landscape of current frostbite practices, challenges, and interest in future work.Results-Current frostbite care practices were initially assessed through semistructured phone inter-views of Canadian healthcare providers. Canadian healthcare providers managing frostbite in a range of health disciplines and contexts then participated in focus group sessions discussing the potential roles and opportunities as well as potential challenges in developing a CFCN. Roles and opportunities for a network in advancing frostbite care included facilitating research, educating stakeholders, facilitating collaboration, standardizing care, and advocating for frostbite care. Challenges identified in frostbite care and network development included managing resources, navigating the Canadian healthcare sys-tem, overcoming low numbers, and communicating with policymakers and frontline providers.Conclusions-Formalizing a CFCN may provide important opportunities and support in overcoming critical barriers to providing high-quality frostbite care across Canada.

Automated summary

The Canadian Frostbite Collaborative project aims to explore the needs and practices in frostbite patient care in Canada. Through a mixed-methods approach, this study identifies the current landscape of frostbite care and the potential challenges and opportunities for future work. The findings suggest that establishing a national frostbite care network could facilitate research, education, collaboration, and advocacy for frostbite care, while also facing challenges in resource management, navigating the healthcare system, and communication with policymakers and frontline providers.