Incontinence-associated dermatitis: moving prevention forward

Incontinence-associated dermatitis (IAD) represents a significant health challenge worldwide and is a well-recognised risk factor for pressure ulcer development. Recent consensus work has identified gaps in our current understanding and practice. The ability of clinicians to deliver evidence-based practice is hampered by lack of standardised definitions and terminology, high-quality studies, and international or national guidelines.In September 2014, a group of international experts met in London to review knowledge deficits in IAD and to advance best practice principles to address these gaps. Key topics included: risk assessment for IAD; the role of IAD in pressure ulcer development; assessment and categorisation of IAD; and development of a severity-based approach to treatment. Following the meeting, an initial draft was developed and underwent extensive review by the expert working group. The document was then sent to a wider group of experts for further review. For the clinician providing hands-on patient care, the information presented in this document details practical guidance on how to assess, prevent and manage IAD based on available evidence and expert opinion. For clinical leaders, a step-by-step guide for advancing IAD prevention within their care setting is provided in addition to information on developing a structured prevention programme. It is the expert panel’s intention that this document will help promote effective skin care strategies for the prevention of IAD, improving patient quality of life and clinical outcomes worldwide. It is also hoped that this document will raise awareness of the need for accurate, standardised data collection for IAD, and the development of high-quality studies to advance our evidence bas