Poster (Clinical/Best Practice Implementation) ID 1984775

Abstract

Monitoring skin integrity is a critical issue for patients with spinal cord injury. Damage to the skin can go unnoticed due to sensory loss or diminution and can result in pressure injuries or wounds that can be difficult to heal. A team of inpatient clinicians and people with lived experience worked together to create a ‘SkIn-fo-Graphic’ that would be used to teach all new inpatients how to do a full body skin check. A full picture of the body, contributed by Spinal Cord Injury Ontario (SCIO), was marked with the names of specific bony prominences and areas which should be viewed daily to ensure a skin check is complete. Staff at our Centre modified the graphic and created step-by-step instructions. Patients provided feedback on terminology and placement of words/ arrows for clarity. Further refinement was completed by SCIO and clinical staff to create the final tool and instructions. A graphic was developed iteratively by a community organization, physicians, allied health professionals and patients to provide a tool with instructions that can be used by both clinical staff (to teach daily skin check) and patients (as a reference for doing their own checks). A QR Code link was also created to directly link patients to more in-depth skin education on the community partner website. Engaging all stakeholders in the development of a key tool for instruction of skin check in patients with spinal cord injury is important to ensure complete clarity and utility.