Cherylane L. Sabellano
Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust ,UK
Abstract Title: Quality Improvement Project: Embedding the Sub-Epidermal Moisture (SEM) Scanning Technology at Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust Inpatient Rehabilitation Wards
Biography: A highly accomplished Practice Development Nurse at Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust with over 12 years of experience as a tenured nurse educator from the Philippines. Cherylane holds a Master of Arts in Nursing (Nursing Service Administration) and completed 45 units toward a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Management. She is an expert in learner-centred pedagogies in nursing practice education, instrumental in creating OSCE support programs and CBT online platforms for internationally educated nurses. Her innovative contributions earned her both national and local awards, including the Nursing Times Digital Practice of the Future (2024) and CLCH Most Innovative Idea Poster (2025) for embedding the SEM scanning technology across all the inpatient rehabilitation units at CLCH.
Research Interest: Pressure ulcers (PUs) remain a major, largely preventable healthcare challenge worldwide, with incidence rates ranging from 0–72% across clinical and geographic settings. In the UK, over 700,000 people are affected annually, including 180,000 new cases (NICE, 2024). PUs significantly impacts patient outcomes in acute, long-term, and community care, reducing quality of life through physical, social, and emotional consequences. They are linked to prolonged hospital stays – an additional 4–10 days for patients over 75 and increased mortality, with rates of 25–35% in hospital settings. Older adults face a fivefold higher risk of death when PUs occur (Society of Tissue Viability, 2025). Beyond clinical implications, the economic burden is substantial. PU prevention and treatment cost the NHS an estimated £571 million annually, contributing to chronic wound care expenditure exceeding £2.6 billion. These costs include extended hospitalisation, increased antibiotic and analgesic use, and strain on families and health systems. To address this, Central London Community Healthcare (CLCH) launched a quality improvement project introducing subepidermal moisture (SEM) scanning technology across 11 inpatient rehabilitation units. This proactive approach enabled detection of pressure ulcers five days before visual or tactile skin changes occur, allowing timely interventions to stop the damage from advancing further. As a result, CLCH achieved a 30% reduction in attributable pressure ulcers, demonstrating the effectiveness of innovative technologies in improving patient safety and reducing care expenditure. This initiative aligns with the NHS 10-year Health Plan and its commitment to high-quality care, shifting the focus from treating illness to preventing it.