Impact of a patient-specific national programme aimed at increasing the use of emollient moisturisers to reduce the risk of skin tears: a longitudinal cohort study.

ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVES:To evaluate the impact of a patient-specific national programme targeting older Australians and health professionals that aimed to increase use of emollient moisturisers to reduce to the risk of skin tears. DESIGN:A prospective cohort intervention. PARTICIPANTS:The intervention targeted 52?778 Australian Government's Department of Veterans' Affairs patients aged over 64 years who had risk factors for wound development, and their general practitioners (GPs) (n=14?178). OUTCOME MEASURES:An interrupted time series model compared the rate of dispensing of emollients in the targeted cohort before and up to 23 months after the intervention. Commitment questions were included in self-report forms. RESULTS:In the first month after the intervention, the rate of claims increased 6.3-fold (95%?CI: 5.2 to 7.6, p<0.001) to 10 emollient dispensings per 1000 patients in the first month after the intervention. Overall, the intervention resulted in 10?905 additional patient-months of treatment. The increased rate of dispensing among patients who committed to talking to their GP about using an emollient was six times higher (rate ratio: 6.2, 95%?CI: 4.4 to 8.7) than comparison groups. CONCLUSIONS:The intervention had a sustained effect over 23 months. Veterans who responded positively to commitment questions had higher uptake of emollients than those who did not.

SUBMITTER: Moffat AK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7597490 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature