The NIHR Global Surgery Unit launched its patient and community education toolkit during its annual meeting in Lagos, Nigeria on the 12th of September 2023. The toolkit is a library of bespoke, localised resources aimed at addressing patient and carer surgical concerns following community consultations across our Hubs in Benin, Ghana, India, Mexico, Nigeria and Rwanda.
From these consultations the most pressing priority identified was caring for surgical wounds at home. To address this, a concise animated video that teaches patients about the signs, symptoms, and self-management of surgical site infections (SSIs) was co-developed with input from stakeholders. The video has been translated into French, Spanish, Twi, Yoruba, Kinyarwanda and Hindi and can be viewed below:
Resources on additional topics identified by the community were also developed. These include early cancer detection, care after laparoscopic surgery, stoma care and what to expect before, during and after surgery. These materials make up the initial version of the dynamic, “living” toolkit which will be continuously refined and expanded as more studies and trials get underway in the unit.
These developed materials will be utilised in community outreach events and post-discharge briefings for our trial participants, and eventually in patient care. They will also be integrated into upcoming trials to evaluate their impact on patients.