The development and pilot testing of a teaching booklet for oncology patients' self-assessment and perineal skin care

Oncology patients often experience skin breakdown as a result of chemotherapy. Often the loss of skin integrity is neither identified nor treated until it becomes severe and painful. If patients were taught to identify early signs of breakdown and to report these symptoms to a health care provider, treatment for these conditions could begin at an early stage. Nursing staff identified the need to develop a booklet that would both instruct adult oncology patients concerning necessary perineal care following therapy and encourage them to partner with the nursing staff to provide this care through self-assessment and reporting. The focus of this article is the process of developing and pilot testing such a booklet by 27 female oncology patients undergoing peripheral stem cell transplantation. Participants were given a handheld mirror as an aid to assess perineal skin changes. Feedback from both staff and patients was very positive. As patients identified and reported perineal skin changes to the nursing staff, both patients and nurses implemented established perineal skin care protocols. This teaching booklet, The Perineal Skin Self-Assessment Guide, focuses on the partnering of nurses and patients to promote the involvement of patients in their own care.