A new National Healthy Skin Guideline has been launched by The Kids Research Institute Australia, to help health care providers identify, diagnose and treat a range of skin conditions experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in urban and remote areas.
The Telethon-funded guideline was developed by a multi-disciplinary group, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clinicians, as part of a public health push to alleviate skin sores, scabies, tinea, eczema and head lice.
The second edition builds on the first edition launched in 2018 with updates from recent research including skin conditions commonly experienced in urban areas alongside remote settings.
Changes in the skin treatment landscape and therapeutic indications are also available in the updated guide, to help clinicians take a holistic approach to support healthy skin.
With the first edition proving popular – downloaded 3,500 times and viewed online 10,000 times – the second edition is expected to pique further interest with its expanded focus.
Associate Professor Asha Bowen from the Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases based at The Kids Research Institute Australia said she was confident the updated guide would be useful to clinicians in primary health care and hospitals across Australia, given the popularity of the first edition.
“Clinicians across Australia have reported how easy the first guideline was to use and how useful the information included was while also highlighting some gaps – which we have addressed within the second edition.” Associate Professor Bowen said.
Different health services have used the first edition of the guideline in a variety of interesting ways. In a remote Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service, the guideline had been printed onto poster size pages, laminated and blue-tacked to the wall for quick reference.
Associate Professor Bowen said the National Healthy Skin Guideline has been a continually evolving body of work with much of the initial work led by the Lowitja Institute and Menzies School of Health Research.
“The National Healthy Skin Guidelines are possible due to the early work led by the Lowitja Institute and Menzies School of Health Research who developed with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community researchers the very first “Recognising and Treating Skin infections” flipchart.
"We have continued to build on this heritage, and now the fourth edition of the flipchart is available for clinicians across Australia to use and it has also been a valuable educational resource for families."
Associate Professor Glenn Pearson, Director of First Nations Health and Leadership at The Kids Research Institute Australia said the updated guidelines would be beneficial to both clinicians and families in a wider geographical area than the first edition.
Each First Nations person, family and community, held by the strength of their culture, want the best health for our children and can address the challenges of skin health if complemented by health services that work with these strengths
“These updated guidelines provide useful resources for clinicians to partner with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families to achieve healthy skin for all kids,” Associate Professor Pearson said.
The National Healthy Skin Guideline is available for download on The Kids Research Institute Australia’s website here.