25 September 2024
The International Skin Tear Advisory Panel (ISTAP) is excited to announce a new official interntional partnership with Wounds Australia following the signing of a new memorandum of understanding (MoU) this month.
This MoU describes a five-year partnership designed to achieve greater awareness of the pervasive yet largely preventable problem of skin tears, and to improve the performance of healthcare systems and patient outcomes.
Skin tears, affecting people of all ages, remain a common and largely preventable issue in healthcare settings worldwide. These painful, acute wounds often result from trauma to fragile skin, with many linked to Medical Adhesive Related Skin Injuries (MARSI). Proper dressing selection and timely intervention are essential in preventing skin tears, emphasizing the importance of thorough assessment and preventive strategies.
Wounds Australia now joins ISTAP’s global network of over 20 partner organizations, all united in the shared vision of “a world without skin tears”.
The agreement formally recognises the value each organisation brings to the global healthcare setting: Wounds Australia as Australia’s National Peak Body and NFP for the prevention, treatment, management and healing of chronic wounds, and as a leader in wound education, awareness, and advocacy in the southern hemisphere, and ISTAP as driver of leadership excellence in skin tear management and prevention worldwide.
Wounds Australia Chief Executive Jeff Antcliff said the collaboration would bring significant opportunities to support skin tear prevention and improve healing rates.
“Broadly speaking, our organisations have the same mission: to help prevent and heal wounds,” Mr Antcliff said. “By sharing knowledge, delivering high-quality professional learning to more people, and working together to raise awareness of the global problem of skin tears, we stand to maximise our mutual reach and impact.
“It is our privilege to unite with ISTAP on this important subject and we look forward to a productive relationship.”
ISTAP President Professor Karen Ousey said: “We are thrilled to welcome Wounds Australia as a partner to advance our mission of creating a world without skin tears. Skin tears disproportionately affect the most vulnerable populations, yet they are often preventable with the right interventions. Together, we can broaden our reach and improve care for those at risk of skin tears worldwide.”
The MoU sets out a broad direction for future activity that includes co-produced learning events, biennial knowledge-sharing sessions and contributions to national conferences.
For more information, visit:
ISTAP: https://www.skintears.org
Wounds Australia: https://woundsaustralia.org
ISTAP’s International Partners: https://www.skintears.org/partners
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