Free resource to help identify pressure ulcers launches for Stop Pressure Ulcer Day 2023
To coincide with this year’s Stop Pressure Ulcer Day today (16 November), specialist hospital bed manufacturer Medstrom has launched a free resource to support with improved patient outcomes and raising awareness of pressure ulcers.
Stop Pressure Ulcer Day is an annual day hosted by the European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (EPUAP) that helps bring the knowledge of pressure ulcers to a wider audience. Every year, tissue viability teams from healthcare organisations across the UK and Ireland work hard to share valuable insights and raise awareness around pressure area care.
As such, tools and resources that offer succinct reminders about key pressure ulcer topics are useful to share amongst caregivers.
For this year’s Stop Pressure Ulcer Day, Medstrom has called upon its own clinical expertise from Hon. TVN and Clinical Manager Sue Hopewell, and Clinical Director Debbie Martindale to release a special pocket-sized resource for assessing patients’ baseline skin tone, enabling the identification of any changes.
Using an amended skin tone colour chart, caregivers can now easily and consistently identify the baseline skin tone of their patients with the addition of a dedicated viewing pane, according to Medstrom, as recommended following clinicians’ feedback.
With nearly 20 years of experience within nursing and tissue viability, Sue Hopewell was keen to create a resource that could resonate with fellow clinicians.
Sue noted: “The Skin Tone Assessment Card is something that I’m really pleased we have been able to share with clinicians but most importantly, it builds on the fantastic work laid out by the Best Practice Statement.
“Supporting caregivers to deliver effective assessment and care for patients regardless of their skin tone.
“As a TVN, I have seen so many lives affected by pressure ulcers, so it is essential for healthcare professionals to be armed with the knowledge to help prevent this mainly avoidable patient harm.”
Medstrom’s credit-card size resource was inspired by the Best Practice Statement entitled ‘Addressing skin tone bias in wound care’ from Wounds UK. It was formatted based on collaboration with key author contributors, including Luxmi Dhoonmoon, Nursing Consultant Tissue Viability.
The fellow co-author of the Best Practice Statement, Jacqui Fletcher OBE, was keen to showcase the resource the audience at her recent Wounds UK keynote presentation. Later, she used the card as part of an interactive “photobooth” style workshop that allowed caregivers to identify their own skin tone using the card to highlight effective use in clinical practice.
To find out more about how to access these Skin Tone Assessment Cards to support Stop Pressure Ulcer Day activities, people should get in touch with Medstrom via info@medstrom.co.uk
Medstrom hosted a CPD webinar earlier this year that focused on the patient pathway from hospital to home.