6.2 Future research
The current research project has combined the literature on health literacy and skin infections to identify barriers to parents and caregivers preventing and managing children’s skin infections, alongside opportunities for health literacy driven interventions to improve prevention and management. The parent and caregiver oriented resources developed were acceptable to parents and caregivers and the feedback from health practitioners on their use of the resources with parents and caregivers enabled the resources to be revised by the project clinical Reference Group. Acceptability and face validity are the first step in the testing of new resources. The question now is if they are acceptable and useful for parents and caregivers, will they help facilitate health literacy and lead to better prevention and management of skin infections?
6.3 Other interventions to prevent and manage skin infections
In addition to resources, parents and caregivers need regular, easy access to health guidance and expertise in order to build the health literacy knowledge and the skills needed to prevent and manage skin infections. Furthermore, health practitioners need to communicate effectively with parents and caregivers in ways which build understanding and discussion. In the course of this project parents and caregivers, health practitioners, and the Reference Group identified possible interventions relevant to the successful reduction of serious skin infections but outside the health literacy focus of the project. These were as follows:
The promotion or development of national clinical guidelines for skin conditions and protocols to support the use of clinical guidelines in primary health care settings.
The promotion of standing orders, as a mechanism for registered nurses operating in school and community settings, to supply medicines for skin infections in order to improve timely access to treatment.
45
The provision of more accessible, affordable primary care services including after-hours care, such as the increased availability of nurses in the community (nurse led clinics, nurse practitioners) and free primary health care for children up to 18 years of age.
The promotion of the range of primary care services available in each DHB region for parents, caregivers and children (distributed via schools and primary health care practices).
Improved cultural responsiveness of the health workforce.
Better recognition of the long-term nature of skin infections or skin conditions and the associated (primary care) planning and support needed for parents and caregivers to effectively manage skin health.
The establishment of national targets for lowering rates of serious skin infections, such as halving serious skin infections for children under 18 by 2020.
Regular monitoring and reporting on these targets at the PHO and DHB level (including better involvement of the primary care sector in taking responsibility for decreasing hospitalisations for skin infections).
Encouraging greater regional public health involvement in skin health, such as activities of the Healthy Skin Greater Wellington group