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Screening for hand dermatitis in healthcare workers: Comparing workplace screening with dermatologist photo screening
Author(s) -
Nichol Kathryn,
Copes Ray,
Kersey Karon,
Eriksson Jonas,
Holness Dorothy L.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
contact dermatitis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.524
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1600-0536
pISSN - 0105-1873
DOI - 10.1111/cod.13231
Subject(s) - medicine , contact dermatitis , rash , irritant contact dermatitis , hand eczema , hand dermatitis , dermatology , occupational dermatitis , health care , occupational medicine , allergic contact dermatitis , occupational exposure , family medicine , allergy , environmental health , immunology , economics , economic growth
Background Healthcare workers are at increased risk for occupational contact dermatitis, owing to wet work exposure. Early detection and management improves outcomes. Although several diagnostic tools are available, none is appropriate for rapid screening. Objectives To assess the validity and feasibility of the Hand Dermatitis Screening Tool in the acute healthcare sector. Methods Screening of 508 employees at three hospitals in Ontario, Canada was performed with the Hand Dermatitis Screening Tool either by an occupational health nurse ( N = 225) or by self‐administration ( N = 283). Two occupational dermatologists rated photographs of participants’ hands. Results Of the participants, 30.5% screened positive for hand dermatitis. A positive screen was associated with wet work, history of eczema, dermatitis, or other rash, and currently having a rash. Ninety‐four per cent of participants reported that using the tool took <2 minutes, 99% indicated that the tool was easy to use, and 86% stated that workplace screening was very important. Workplace and dermatologist photo screening showed fair agreement. Conclusions The prevalence of hand dermatitis and identified risk factors were consistent with the literature. These findings, along with positive feasibility results, support further testing of the tool despite only fair agreement between workplace and dermatologist screening.