MINIMISE Moisture™: a local quality improvement initiative raising awareness of moisture-associated skin damage

I was pleased to be a runner-up in the BJN Awards 2020 for my work on a local campaign aiming to raise awareness and reduce the incidence of moisture-associated skin damage (MASD). Positive outcomes have been achieved, which include a clear recording and reporting process to assist continuous quality improvement, a new clinical pathway, a reduction in incidents and raised awareness among staff.

MASD is an umbrella term that covers a range of types of skin damage caused by moisture (Gray et al, 2011). It develops where urine, faeces, stoma output and/or perspiration is in continuous contact with intact skin (eg around the perineum, perianal area, buttocks, groin, inner thighs or natal cleft) and in skin folds where skin is in contact with other skin, such as under breasts, under arms and between buttocks (Voegeli, 2012). In June 2018, NHS Improvement (2018a) recommended that incidences of MASD should be monitored in the same way as pressure ulcers.