Session Item

Health inequalities are unfair, systematic differences in health between people from different backgrounds (1). They include experiences relating to socio-economic factors, protected characteristics, geography and socially excluded groups.

The Society and College of Radiographers in the United Kingdom produced an extensive practice guideline on skin care in 2020 along with patient and staff skin care guidance leaflets (2). However, these guidelines and leaflets are limited by the currently available research evidence to support skin care interventions and that same research base may provide limited insight into how radiation dermatitis presents across all skin tones. Recent evidence from Jagsi et al. (2020) found evidence of race-related differences in radiotherapy related toxicities that require further research (3).

This talk will explore skin care outcomes of ethnically diverse patients after receiving radiotherapy treatment. Key results of a recent survey to understand confidence in distinguishing, managing and treating radiation induced skin reactions in the UK therapeutic radiography (radiation therapist) workforce will be discussed. The presentation will conclude with a call to action within the radiotherapy (radiation therapy) workforce to consider a new direction in skin care assessment to reduce existing inequalities.

References:

1.    The King’s Fund. Health inequalities in a nutshell. The King’s Fund. 2021.

2.    The Society College of Radiographers. Radiation Dermatitis Guidelines for Radiotherapy Healthcare Professionals. The Society College of Radiographers. Report number: 1, 2020.

3.    Jagsi R, Griffith KA, Vicini F, Boike T, Burmeister J, Dominello MM. Toward Improving Patient’s Experiences of Acute Toxicity From Breast Radiotherapy: Insights From the Analysis of Patient-Reported Outcomes in a Large Multicenter Cohort. Journal of Clinical Oncology 2020; 38(34): 4019-4029. DOI: 10.1200/JCO.20.01703.