Aims To evaluate the effectiveness of a mobile health (mHealth) application, based on self‐regulation theory, on patients’ knowledge of wound care, skills in changing dressings and anxiety. Design A prospective randomized controlled trial. Methods Seventy patients (or family members) at a 1,500‐bed university hospital in Taiwan were randomized into an experimental (N = 35) or control group (N = 35) from March to December 2016. The experimental group used a mHealth application for wound care; the control group received verbal instructions and a booklet. Instruments to collect data were a wound care knowledge scale, wound care skills scale, State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory, and a digital heart variability device. Data were collected at baseline, after three additional demonstrations and before discharge. The generalized estimating equation was used for statistical analysis. Results The experimental group showed significantly higher levels of wound care knowledge, improved wound care skills, lower levels of state anxiety, and lower heart rate variability than the control group after baseline data collection. Conclusions Results support hat a mHealth application may be effective in health education. Clinicians can use the results to promote patients’ wound care knowledge, enhance their wound care skills, and reduce anxiety related to dressing changes. Impact Lack of wound care knowledge and skills can affect the willingness and ability to perform effective wound dressing changes, producing anxiety and having an impact on a patient's self‐care after hospital discharge. mHealth applications (apps) have the potential to deliver health information in targeted and tailored ways that strengthen the self‐management of diseases. mHealth app can increase wound care knowledge, improve care skills, and reduce anxiety related to wound care. mHealth app effectively supports self‐monitoring of the wound healing process, self‐judgement of the wound condition, and self‐reaction of wound care accuracy. mHealth app provides step‐by‐step visual tutorials on wound care that allow patients and family caregivers to take pictures of the wounds and monitor the wound healing process. mHealth app for wound care knowledge is an effective and individualized method for learning. Clinical Trial: This study was registered by U.S. National Library of Medicine, ClinicalTrials.gov (ID: NCT03683303). 目的 基于自我调节理论,评估移动医疗(mHealth)应用程序对患者伤口护理知识、换药技能和焦虑程度的作用。 设计 一项前瞻性随机对照试验 方法 2016年3月至2016年12月,台湾一所拥有1,500张床位的大学附属医院的70名患者(或家属)被随机分为实验组(N = 35)或对照组(N = 35)。实验组使用移动医疗(mHealth)应用程序申请进行伤口护理;对照组收到口头指示和小册子。数据采集工具包括伤口护理知识量表、伤口护理技能量表、状态特质焦虑问卷和数字式心率变异装置。数据收集时间点是治疗前的基础值、三次额外演示后和出院前。采用广义估计方程进行统计分析。 结果 在进行基础数据收集之后,实验组的伤口护理知识水平、伤口护理技能改善情况、状态特质焦虑水平和心率变异性均显著高于对照组。 结论 研究结果支持移动医疗(mHealth)应用程序在健康教育中的有效性。临床医生可利用这些结果来加强患者的伤口护理知识,提高他们的伤口护理技能,降低与换药相关的焦虑。 影响 缺乏伤口护理知识和技能会影响患者进行有效伤口换药的意愿和能力,使患者产生焦虑,并影响患者出院后的自我护理。移动医疗(mHealth)应用程序(apps)有可能提供具有针对性的定制化健康信息,从而加强患者对疾病的自我管理。移动医疗(mHealth)应用程序可以增加患者的伤口护理知识,提高护理技能,降低与伤口护理相关的焦虑。移动医疗(mHealth)应用程序可有效支持伤口愈合过程的自我监控、伤口状况的自我判断以及伤口护理准确性的自我反应。移动医疗(mHealth)应用程序可提供有关伤口护理的分步式可视化教程,允许患者和家庭护理提供者拍摄伤口照片并监控伤口愈合过程。移动医疗(mHealth)伤口护理知识应用程序是一种有效的个性化学习方法。 临床试验 该研究在美国国立医学图书馆ClinicalTrials.gov注册(编号:NCT03683303)。