Collective co-implementation of scar interventions that suck: Introducing vacuum massage therapy in a paediatric burns setting

Kate Miller^1,2,3, Megan Simons^1,2,3, Belinda Kipping^1,2,3, Miranda Campbell^1,2,3, Emma Caldwell^1,2,3, Roy Kimble^2,3,
¹Occupational Therapy, Queensland Children’s Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
²Centre for Children’s Burns and Trauma Research, Queensland Children’s Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
³Pegg Leditschke Children’s Burns Centre, Queensland Children’s Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Abstract

Driving the impact scarring has on patients’ engagement in everyday life towards ZERO is an important goal, evidenced by the time and effort burns teams put into scar management approaches. With the value of patient led goals and choice in healthcare increasing, co-creating approaches and protocols surrounding emerging and established scar management approaches is an essential step. By involving patients in the design process, healthcare providers can ensure that interventions are aligned with patients’ values, preferences, and needs, and therefore ensure effective implementation and continued engagement for better outcomes.
Vacuum Massage Therapy (VMT) is a scar approach with low evidence to support its effectiveness in the burn scar population, or to define protocols that might drive its effectiveness (Moortgat et al., 2020). The use of patient driven input for our paediatrics population was deemed an important first step, prior to implementation, in understanding the patient-therapist perspective on acceptability and clinical utility. This focus ensures future clinical and research protocols to treat and/or examine effectiveness are based on clinical practices that are feasible.
This presentation will discuss findings from a patient and therapist perspective that have collectively informed clinical considerations relating to indicators for intervention, sustainable clinical protocol development and potential future research of VMT.

Moortgat P, Meirte J, Van Daele U, et al. Vacuum Massage in the Treatment of Scars. 2020 Dec 8. In: Téot L, Mustoe TA, Middelkoop E, et al., editors. Textbook on Scar Management: State of the Art Management and Emerging Technologies [Internet]. Cham (CH): Springer; 2020. Chapter 54. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK586069/ doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-44766-3_54

Biography

Kate has been working clinically as an occupational therapist in paediatric burn care for over 15 years alongside contributions to research during this time. Being a part of a healthcare team that constantly challenges and changes in striving to be patient led and focused in our burn care decisions is what keeps her motivated and is the basis of her ongoing research projects.