A World Without Skin Tears is returning as the world’s only major skin tear awareness campaign in the world.
What is A World Without Skin Tears Day?
This year marks the third global A World Without Skin Tears Day. The annual event is organised by the International Skin Tear Advisory Panel (ISTAP), a panel of healthcare professionals, experts and industry leaders dedicated to improving the prevention and management of skin tears around the world.
Why is A World Without Skin Tears Day 2024 still important?
New research shows that skin tear prevalence is equal to or greater than pressure ulcers. [1] Skin tear rates are projected to increase steadily over the coming decades because of the UK’s ageing population and the rise of patients with multi-morbidities. [2]
Yet, despite their prevalence, education and awareness of skin tears remain limited in comparison to other wounds. This results in skin tears frequently being misdiagnosed, mismanaged and underreported.
More importantly, there is still a widespread lack of attention paid to prevention in clinical settings. This leads to unnecessary and avoidable patient harm, pain, emotional distress and a poorer quality of life.
A World Without Skin Tears Day 2024 programme also addresses the important topic of the health inequalities experienced by patients of different ethnicities. These inequalities not only lead to unnecessary patient harm, but also place a considerable burden on healthcare services that are already strained by the effects of prolonged treatment, including increased nursing time and dressing use.
What are we doing to support A World Without Skin Tears 2024?
Over the course of April, we will be raising awareness about the prevention, assessment and management of skin tears. We will also be sharing new educational resources that not only support skin tear best practice and highlight the ongoing care disparities in the UK.
References:
- LeBlanc K et al. Best Practice Recommendations For the Prevention and Management of Skin Tears in Aged Skin. Wounds International 2018. Available at: www.woundsinternational.com
- National Institute for Health and Care Research. Multi-mordibitidy Predicated to Increase in the UK Over the Next 20 Years. Multi-morbidity predicted to increase in the UK over the next 20 years (nihr.ac.uk)