Abstract
Background: Occupational hand dermatitis poses a serious risk for nurses.
Objectives: To evaluate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of a complex intervention in reducing the prevalence of hand dermatitis in nurses
Trial design: Cluster randomised controlled trial at 35 hospital trusts/health boards/universities in the United Kingdom.
Methods: Participants were (i) first year student nurses with a history of atopic conditions (ii) intensive care unit (ICU) nurses. Participants at intervention sites received access to a behaviour change programme plus moisturising creams. Participants at control sites received usual care. The primary outcome was the change of prevalent dermatitis at follow-up (adjusted for baseline dermatitis) in the intervention versus the control group. Randomisation was blinded to everyone bar the trials unit to ensure allocation concealment.
Results: 14 sites were allocated to the intervention arm and 21 to the control arm. 2,040 (69.5%) nurses consented to participate and were included in the intention-to-treat analysis. The baseline questionnaire was completed by 1,727 (87.4%) participants. 789 (91.6%) ICU nurses and 938 (84.0%) student nurses returned completed questionnaires. Of these, 994 (57.6%) had photographs taken at baseline and follow-up (12-15 months). When adjusted for baseline prevalence of dermatitis and follow-up interval the odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for hand dermatitis at follow-up in the intervention group relative to the controls were 0.72 (0.33-1.55) and 0.62 (0.35-1.10) for student and ICU nurses respectively.
Harm: None reported
Conclusion: There was insufficient evidence to conclude whether our intervention was effective in reducing hand dermatitis in our populations.
Trial registration: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN53303171.
Objectives: To evaluate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of a complex intervention in reducing the prevalence of hand dermatitis in nurses
Trial design: Cluster randomised controlled trial at 35 hospital trusts/health boards/universities in the United Kingdom.
Methods: Participants were (i) first year student nurses with a history of atopic conditions (ii) intensive care unit (ICU) nurses. Participants at intervention sites received access to a behaviour change programme plus moisturising creams. Participants at control sites received usual care. The primary outcome was the change of prevalent dermatitis at follow-up (adjusted for baseline dermatitis) in the intervention versus the control group. Randomisation was blinded to everyone bar the trials unit to ensure allocation concealment.
Results: 14 sites were allocated to the intervention arm and 21 to the control arm. 2,040 (69.5%) nurses consented to participate and were included in the intention-to-treat analysis. The baseline questionnaire was completed by 1,727 (87.4%) participants. 789 (91.6%) ICU nurses and 938 (84.0%) student nurses returned completed questionnaires. Of these, 994 (57.6%) had photographs taken at baseline and follow-up (12-15 months). When adjusted for baseline prevalence of dermatitis and follow-up interval the odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for hand dermatitis at follow-up in the intervention group relative to the controls were 0.72 (0.33-1.55) and 0.62 (0.35-1.10) for student and ICU nurses respectively.
Harm: None reported
Conclusion: There was insufficient evidence to conclude whether our intervention was effective in reducing hand dermatitis in our populations.
Trial registration: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN53303171.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | British Journal of Dermatology |
| Publication status | Accepted/In press - 6 Jan 2019 |
Keywords
- Hand dermatitis prevention
- Randomised controlled trial
- Behaviour change
- Occupational health
- Nurses