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to hear from Haley Coleman-Phillips, Clinical Lead for Tissue Viability at Basingstoke & North Hampshire Hospital, about the Tissue Viability SEM Scanners and how they will benefit patients across Hampshire.
The SEM scanner is a simple, non-invasive, hand-held device for the identification of early stage Pressure Ulcers. The SEM Scanner uses capacitance technology to assess macroscopic changes in moisture to the skin and tissues progressively change. The SEM Scanner detects these changes beneath the surface of the skin using an integrated electrode sensor. The SEM Scanner works by directly measuring the capacitance between two insulated electrodes placed on the skin to assess changes in the SEM. This gives an objective view of underlying tissue damage that leads to pressure damage development, reducing the risk of associated problems, including poor patient quality of life and increased levels of economic burden, morbidity and mortality related to pressure ulcers. The SEM Scanner detects SEM fluctuations using an integrated electrode sensor placed on the patient’s skin.
This can be used on any patients that are at risk of pressure damage.
This can be used by any of the Tissue Viability Team.
Can be used on assessing the skin on admission to see if any patient has any damage underlying, which the Team would be aware of and put into place a care package to prevent the damage occurring before it has.
There is no pain to the patient or discomfort.
This is a portable device with a built-in battery, there are no wires attached to the patient.
It is well documented that with early diagnosis and intervention, Pressure ulcer PREVENTION is not only possible but also significantly less costly than treatment. This is a revolutionary device that allows the user to “visualise pathology” beneath the skin surface before the naked eye can detect a problem, allowing the team to put in place interventions to REVERSE or prevent further damage.
for Basingstoke & North Hampshire Hospital and the Royal Hampshire County Hospital, Winchester
“The SEM Scanner would be used on the patient every day to determine if any underlying damage may be coming to the surface. By seeing what is beneath the patient’s skin before it happens and the team and wards putting in preventative procedures, ie. Care plan, air mattresses, turning patient would be great. At present the team see patients who have already have pressure ulcers which have come to the surface, how brilliant would it be that we could see and put preventative methods in place to avoid this happening. Saving time, money to the Trust.
SEM scores will be taken routinely when patients are admitted, in much the same manner as vital signs appear on a patient.
The cost of treating a pressure ulcer is approximately 2.5 times the cost of prevention and it is critical that prevention efforts are the focus of our team here in HHFT.”